The Holding
by Maddy-Claire
Summary: A story following Chloe from the point where they first get to the safe-house, and when they leave. Some Awakening spoilers. Rated K , but contains some action/violence. COMPLETE
1. Feeling of Dread

**Disclaimer:Yes, I realize I am not Kelley Armstrong, and I hope you do, too. I don't own her books, or her characters. I am but a lowly fan, writing fiction. **

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know that the books aren't written in third person, but I decided that third person would be the best for my story.  
**

Chloe woke up with a pounding headache; something she was sure came from her lack of sleep. She'd barely gotten any. As many times as she reminded herself, _You're safe. Nothing can happen to you now_, a feeling of dread would not leave her.

Now, as she sat up in her bed, she could see the affects of nights of sleeplessness.

Chloe swung her legs over the side of the bed. Tori was asleep in the twin next to her. She had her blankets twisted around her at an odd angle, a sure sign she hadn't gotten much sleep either.

Chloe got up from her bed and crossed the room. It wasn't yet seven, but Chloe had given up on going back to sleep.

She'd gotten so used to being on the run and not caring if she looked good or not that she barely glanced at herself in the hallway mirror. Her eyes were rim-red, and her hair was tangled, even after her shower. Chloe sighed sardonically. _If this is what I look like now, what will I look like in two weeks? _She asked herself as she splashed water on her face. _Hopefully clean and healthy._

As likely as it was that Andrew would sort this whole mess out for them, a feeling of unease had stuck inside her. _Would we be safe and healthy in two weeks, or even three? _Chloe couldn't help wondering.

Chloe couldn't hear anyone moving about downstairs. She paused on the top step, listening. She didn't want to have to talk at the moment. She could still not hear anything, so she made her way down the steps, pulling a jacket on as she went.

Chloe surveyed the safe house. Now that it was light, she could make out odd quirks that set it apart. The living room seemed to be pretty normal, but in fact on closer inspection, the books were not the average kind you'd see in a small townhouse. Chloe peered at one of them.

"_The Otherworld, Book Two: How to Keep a Ruse." _

A superhuman textbook? That's sure what it looked like.

"I see you've found our library," A voice from behind her said kindly. Chloe spun around, heart pounding. It was only Andrew. Why had she gotten so freaked?

"Hungry?"

"Um, a little," Chloe conceded. She followed Andrew into the kitchen.

Chloe didn't feel comfortable around Andrew. She hadn't known him very long. Despite Simon and Derek's good feelings about him, how could _she_, an outsider, trust him. Something about this whole thing….

_Stop_, Chloe told herself. Andrew handed her a glass of milk. _Stop thinking like that._

"Thanks," Chloe said. Andrew shrugged.

"Sure thing." He cracked an egg into a skillet on the griddle. Chloe sat down at the table.

"I mean for everything," She explained. Andrew was about to answer when he looked up behind her. Chloe guessed it wasn't Simon or Tori because of how elevated his eyes were-and the dark look on his face.

Chloe swiveled around in her chair and craned her neck back to smile a polite greeting at Derek. Maybe a few days ago, when they'd been on the run, he would have smiled back, but they'd slipped back into their usual relationship.

"Good-morning Derek," Andrew said, taking on a friendly tone. Chloe still couldn't get the look on his face out of her mind though.

"Morning," Derek said gruffly. Besides his usual deep voice, there was a scratchiness about it. Had they all had terrible nights?

Andrew slid the scrambled eggs onto a plate. He handed them to Chloe.

"Want them?" He asked her.

"Sure, thanks," Chloe said with a smile.

"Do you want any, Derek?"

Derek was squatting by the refrigerator, looking through it. He shook his head.

"Nah." This time his voice seemed rough.

Derek poured himself some orange-juice. He sat opposite Chloe.

"Are you OK?" She asked. Andrew glanced back at him, but didn't say anything.

"Just a bad night," Derek shrugged.

"It sounds like we all had them then?" Simon's clogged voice preceded him even before he entered. "'Cause I did."

"Good-morning, Simon," Andrew said with a far more genuine tone then he'd greeted Derek. It bothered Chloe.

"Hey, Andrew, Derek, Chloe," Simon greeted. He patted Chloe on the shoulder.

_There it is again,_ Chloe thought. _He treats me like a baby-sister._

The next second Tori came shuffling into the room, a look of pure hatred on her face.

"So, anyone else want eggs?" Andrew asked, the picture of happiness, all sign of any wrath gone from his face.


	2. A Nap

Chloe had finished her eggs in record time. She couldn't stand staying in the tension filled kitchen. It also bothered her how Andrew was acting. What was his deal? Chloe still couldn't get the look of his face when he saw Derek enter out of her mind. She was sure Derek noticed how he acted around him. She was sure it bothered him, too. But Chloe also knew the last thing Derek would want was sympathy.

Chloe entered the room she shared with Tori. It was fairly nondescript aside from the messy beds. Chloe surveyed hers guiltily. Would Tori make her bed? Probably not. Chloe pulled the sheets on both beds tight. It was the least she could do for Andrew.

Chloe sat on her bed, feeling more than just a little bored. How long had it been since something paranormal forced itself into her life. Chloe realized it had only been a night.

_I'm already feeling bored,_ she sighed to herself. _I need to get used to having nothing to do again. _Chloe remembered the long days at her apartment when she'd had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do.

_I always found something, though. _

Chloe had vivid memories of going to the park and working on movie scripts.

_I could start a new one._

That didn't sound like a half bad idea. In fact, Chloe thought that's exactly what she needed. Even if she was sitting with other people, if her mind wasn't occupied, her thoughts would wander to darker things. She'd remember Aunt Lauren….

Chloe practically shot off her bed. She hurriedly found sheets of paper and a pencil. She was pulled outside by the beautiful clear weather. No one seemed to notice when she opened the side door and stepped outside. She saw how perfect a spot the safe house was situated in. It sat on a gravel drive, but it was surrounded by uninterrupted woods. It really was beautiful. It was the perfect place to unwind.

Chloe wandered into the woods and found a spot where she couldn't see the house anymore. She stared at the blank page before her. Normally the words would have come to her in no time, but instead of focusing on the movie script, she was thinking of _her_ story. Suddenly she began to write about her life. Not as a movie script, but as a kind of diary, or story. She smiled over some parts, grimaced over others, but in general it made her feel better.

Without realizing it, Chloe set the paper down, and she slumped against the tree she'd been leaning on. Chloe's eyes closed on their own, and she fell asleep.


	3. Suspicions

_(Derek's Point of View)_

Tori got up hastily from the table as soon as she'd eaten. That left Simon, Derek, and Andrew. What should have been just like old times was actually tense and uncomfortable. Simon was either doing a really good job at acting, or he didn't notice the tension running between them. Derek had always respected that quality Simon had. Derek kept his head down while he ate, and let Simon and Andrew catch up.

Derek heard a door close somewhere downstairs. Neither Simon nor Andrew noticed. Derek guessed it was Chloe going outside. He'd heard her come downstairs a few minutes ago. Derek almost wished he'd thought of going outside sooner, and beaten her to it. He'd give anything to be out of the stuffy kitchen and out into the open air.

Derek hadn't gotten much sleep last night, it was true, but his foggy head and sore throat had actually been plaguing him since his last partial Change. They were just showing now.

_It's like Chloe to notice,_ Derek thought. It wasn't an altogether welcome thing.

"Where's Chloe?" Tori asked, entering the room. She'd taken to shortening 'Little Miss Perky' into something a little more endearing when she was actually around Chloe, but Derek noticed she called her by name when she wasn't around.

Simon shrugged nonchalantly, and Andrew shook his head, a worried expression on his face. Derek studied Andrew's face as he said,

"She's outside."

"Outside?" Andrew asked alertly.

Derek couldn't help but notice the way Andrew avoided him now, and yet seemed to fawn over Chloe, even Tori. In fact, it seemed next to Simon, Tori was the one he liked most. It bothered Derek more than he'd even admit to himself. Andrew, it seemed, had stopped thinking of Derek as Simon's brother, but as an outsider. What he was. A werewolf.

Derek waited for Tori to leave before he said,

"Is there a reason why she shouldn't?"


	4. In the Lake?

_(Back to Chloe's.)_

Chloe was having a weird dream. She felt a cold chill on her legs. In the dream it was because they were immersed in icy water. There was a glow on the horizon, and Chloe struggled to bring it closer. At the point when it hit her, she awoke to someone screaming.

Chloe's eyes flew open. Her legs felt cold, but she didn't notice at first. Instead she turned her attention towards whoever was screaming. Chloe propped herself up on her elbow. She noticed her unfinished writing beside her, and, a few trees away, Tori. Tori was the source of the screams. She stopped, but the look of horror remained on her face. Chloe realized that Tori was staring at her.

Chloe made to get up, but something kept her legs down. She looked at her legs, not sure what she was going to see. She almost fainted when she saw what it was.

There was a female's corpse that had grabbed hold of her legs. It's flesh was more than decayed, it was peeling. Chloe realized it was covered in cold liquid.

_Where did this come from? _Chloe wondered.

Tori tried to make a U-turn back to the house, but she smacked into Andrew. Chloe barely noticed that Simon and Derek were in-tow before turning her attention back to the corpse. It a was fairly fresh body, but it was nibbled in some places. Chloe felt a retch coming forward so she covered her mouth. She shut her eyes and kicked it off. As much sympathy as she might have for it, she would never get used to a dead body grabbing hold of her.

Andrew, Simon, and Derek were beside her. Chloe was breathing heavily, trying to concentrate, she knew what she had to do.

_I must have summoned it in my sleep,_ Chloe figured. _That much is certain. But where did it come from? I thought I'd be safe from that kind of stuff. _

"Chloe?" Simon asked.

"What?"

"Do you want me to…?"

"No," Derek said before I could speak. "She can't just leave the ghost in its body. She needs to send it back." Andrew glanced at Derek, a look of confusion on his face.

"How..?"

"I need to concentrate," Chloe cut him off. She kneeled on the ground and put her head in her hands. Tori's gasps were clearly audible behind the group. Chloe tried to block them out, but it was difficult. The last thing she needed was an audience.

_Yet that's what I have._

Chloe gasped when the corpse grabbed onto her knee. It started moaning. Chloe closed her eyes again and tried to concentrate on the spirit inside. She pictured it leaving the body.

Chloe was sure she was almost there when she broke off. The corpse was uttering something. Chloe lost all desire to send it back for a moment.

"The…lake. In…lake…I…." Chloe could barely make out the words.

"Chloe, send it back," Andrew said abruptly.

"She's trying," Derek said respectfully.

Chloe shut her eyes guiltily and concentrated as much as possible. A few minutes later she chanced opening her eyes again. The body was still.

Chloe got up a little shakily. Simon grabbed her arm to help her up.

"A-Andrew, is there a lake around here?" Chloe asked, stuttering from the fright.

"Not that I know of," Andrew said. He turned and walked back towards the safe house.

"Are you alright?" Simon asked her. He was looking at her with concern. Derek was studying the corpse.

"I'm fine," Chloe said. "I just dozed off while I was out here."

"What's all over it?" Derek wondered aloud. He hadn't been paying attention to what Chloe and Simon were saying.

"It looks disgusting," Simon said with a grossed-out expression.

Chloe remembered Tori was still there.

"Are you OK?" She asked her.

Tori hadn't moved since bumping into Andrew. She turned from the body to glare at Chloe.

"Leave me alone."

Tori turned on her heel and stomped away.

"I think she's embarrassed," Chloe sighed.

"Pfft," Simon rolled his eyes.

Chloe didn't stay to watch Derek and Simon bury the body. She walked lamely up to the house.


	5. Forgotten Story

There wasn't much left of the day. Chloe had gotten some much needed sleep, and it had taken a while to take care of the body.

Chloe was starving. She got some food and then sat in the living room. Like Andrew's house, the safe house didn't have much electronics. Chloe flipped through the books that lined the shelves. She found one about necromancers. Her heart almost stopped she was so excited.

_Oh, yes!_ She thought excitedly.

Chloe spent the day reading. She even stayed up well past one reading it. She devoured it. Chloe didn't stop until she was finished with it.

As she set down the book, Chloe yawned. She wasn't tired, but her eyes itched from reading so long. Chloe was just about to turn off her light when she realized with a start that she'd left her story outside. She'd spent so much time on it! A crack of thunder sounded outside.

_It's about to storm! I can't wait 'til morning._

Chloe slipped out of bed. She crept easily out of her room without waking Tori. It was Derek she was worried about.

She shuffled quietly across the hallway, honestly trying not to wake him. She reached the front door, and figured she'd succeeded.

The air outside was heavy with hot air. The air crackled with electricity. A storm was coming, and it would bring rain. Chloe had worked too hard on that story for it to be ruined by water. Chloe jogged forward.

_Where did I leave it?_

Chloe zigzagged through the trees, glancing up at the sky every once in a while to check for rain. It looked like it would be there any time.

That's when Chloe saw the pile of white sheets laying on the ground. They looked they were glowing in contrast with the black woods. That's when Chloe realized it was a full moon out. She smiled slightly. If this were the movies, Derek would Change tonight.

Chloe sprinted forward and scooped the pile of papers up. She tucked them into her jacket, getting ready to go back to the house. Chloe stopped short when a figure stepped into her path.

"Look what you've brought me to," It said. Chloe realized who it was. She recognized it as the dead body. The woman in her path was a ghost.


	6. Talk With A Ghost

"What _I_'ve brought you to?" Chloe asked, shocked.

"Yes. If it weren't for you, I'd be laying peacefully at the bottom of my lake. As it is, I'm buried underneath _that_ shoddy mound over there," the woman said with disgust.

"S-Sorry."

Chloe looked up at the sky. It would be raining soon. All she wanted was to go back to the safe house. She didn't like being out there alone.

"I don't even know how you did it," the woman was saying. "I mean, the lake is more than a mile away…"

"So there is a lake?" Chloe asked, suddenly wanting to know more. "And your body was in it?"

"Yes. And yes," She snapped.

"Who are you?"

"Chloe?" Derek called.

_And I thought I'd been sooo quiet,_ Chloe thought.

"I'm Ann Fierce," the ghost woman said.

Chloe glanced in the direction of Derek's voice.

"No, I mean, who…why were you in the lake?" Chloe dropped her voice.

"That's where they put _all_ the failures." For the first time, Chloe noticed how young she was; no older than seventeen. She started to recede. Derek was suddenly beside her. Chloe hated how silent he was.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" Derek asked irritably.

Chloe barely heard him. She couldn't concentrate on anything besides what the ghost had said.

"Come _on_," Derek growled.

"I came out here to get something," Chloe explained offhandedly. Without stopping to think, she started weaving through trees.

"Who were you talking to?" Derek demanded, but Chloe knew he already had an idea.

Chloe sighed. Derek just wasn't going to give up. He wasn't going to leave her, either.

"The body. Well, the body's ghost."

"Hmm," Derek hummed sarcastically. "You just happen to run into a ghost while you're out here, 'getting something.'"

Even though he was behind her, Chloe could tell Derek was scowling.

"She told me about the lake," Chloe admitted. Derek drew level with her as they broke into a clearing. The moon gave them plenty of light. Chloe noticed Derek was wearing sweats and a jacket.

"That was just something…" Derek trailed off half-heartedly.

"Did you notice how Andrew cut Ann off?" Chloe asked, facing him.

"Ann?"

"Did you wonder why? She said her, and the other _failures_, were put there." Derek narrowed his eyes. They just stood there for a moment, Derek not denying Andrew's behavior.

Then it started to sprinkle rain.

"Let's go back before it gets heavier," Derek pleaded.

_Whoa, that's not like him_, Chloe thought.

"The lake should be close by," Chloe said, brushing past him.


	7. Into The Lake

_(Derek's Point of View)_

Chloe stomped ahead. Derek rubbed his head. It was pounding right now. Why had he even followed Chloe?

_Because I wanted to make sure she was OK,_ Derek answered his own question.

Derek growled, but to him it sounded pathetic. His throat was really bothering him by now.

Derek followed Chloe across the clearing. Through the moonlight they could both see the sparkling water beneath them. Chloe flashed him a knowing smile.

"I'm going," Chloe told him. Derek rolled his eyes. He was perfectly ready to let her go alone, but then he noticed she glanced back as she went down to the lake. Derek couldn't take it. He jogged after her.

Derek reached Chloe's side as she was laying her jacket down beside her. Derek barely took notice of the sheets of paper laying inside it.

_What the hell is she doing?_

"Chloe keep your clothes on," Derek said seriously.

"Ha ha." She slipped her shoes off.

"You're not going in there."

Chloe glanced at him to see if he was asking or not.

"Yes I am. I have to see if those bodies are really down there."

"That's so stupid. How will you be able to see them?"

"I have to. What if…? Never mind. I just have to know."

Derek knew what she'd almost said.

_What if Andrew is a traitor?_

Was she really going to do this just to check on Andrew? On second thought. Why wouldn't you, if your life was at risk?

"Let me," Derek said. "I'm the one with werewolf vision."

Derek started to unzip his jacket, despite his fever, and the rain.


	8. You Wrote This?

_(Back to Chloe's.)_

Chloe watched Derek unzip his jacket. It was then she noticed he didn't have a shirt on underneath. Before, Chloe had thought that Derek had been fully dressed, and had just happened to notice her outside. Now, she wasn't so sure. Chloe saw that he was wearing sweats instead of jeans. Had he only thrown on some clothes when he'd heard her go out?

Derek dove into the icy water. Chloe knelt next to the lake and waited. As she sat there, the rain started to get heavier. She counted the seconds under her breath. By the time Derek came back to surface, she'd started to worry.

"You were under there for four minutes!" She informed him as he reached the shore.

"Big lungs," Was the only answer she got. Derek grabbed her arm.

"Come on!"

Chloe only had time to grab her jacket before Derek pulled her along.

They reached the safe-house and sprinted inside. Chloe moved into the kitchen where she wouldn't ruin the hardwood with her dripping. Derek followed closely behind.

"Chloe…"

"I know, I know. What I did was stupid and impulsive. Nothing you can tell me I don't already know."

"Yes," Derek said. His voice dropped. "But I was going to tell you that there are other bodies in the lake."

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

_What does this mean? Does Andrew know, or is it a coincidence? Oh, I don't know._

"Your jacket's wet," Derek said, making to move it from the counter. The papers Chloe had taken such a risk to get spilled onto the wet floor.

"Ahh." Chloe dropped to her knees and began gathering them up. Derek kneeled beside her to help.

"What…?" Derek began. Chloe held her hand out for the papers. Derek ignored her hand.

"I thought of all the times I'd been in an audience, snarking about the stupid, useless girl hovering at the sidelines of the fight, holding a weapon but doing nothing, watching the guy get pummeled," Derek read. Chloe reached out for it, but he easily held it above her head.

"I knew I had to help Derek.I knew he was in trouble, that most of that blood and those gasps and grunts were his. I wasn't afraid to use the knife. I _wanted_ to use it…," Derek trailed off. Chloe lunged for the paper , but he turned sideways, making her bump into his side.

"You wrote this?" He asked, a faint smile on his lips. Chloe didn't answer, just said,

"Can I have it?" Derek didn't say anything, and didn't take his eyes off Chloe's, but he lowered it for her. She grabbed it and turned on her heel.


	9. Ann Fierce's Warning

Chloe wasn't sure what had happened last night when Derek read her story. He seemed a little…impressed? She'd seen the look in his eyes; the same look he'd given her that night when they'd met Ramon and Liam.

_Was it trust?_

Chloe wasn't sure, but it seemed a little unlikely that Derek would be impressed with her little story.

All Chloe knew was that Derek had looked really good when he jumped into the lake.

Chloe shook her head, trying to clear it.

_The lake._

The lake. Derek had said that he'd seen other bodies.

_What does it mean?_ Chloe moaned inwardly.

Chloe hugged her knees. She was sitting on her bed. Tori and the others were down at breakfast. Chloe had opted out, assuming Derek had told Simon about their little escapade of last night. She didn't really feel in the mood for _another_ lecture.

_What I need is answers…Answers for the more apparent problem and the less apparent…_

Derek opened the door a little and Chloe jumped.

"Can I come in?"

"Uh…"

"I'm not here to brow-beat you, Chloe," Derek assured her. His voice seemed back to normal.

_Maybe a good night's sleep did it?_ Chloe wondered sarcastically. She knew Derek had _not_ gotten a good night's sleep.

"But I do want to tell you that…I think we should keep this to ourselves. You know…"

"The lake?" Chloe finished. Derek nodded.

"I don't want to worry Simon."

Chloe could have asked or said many things. One being, "They deserve to know." But instead she asked,

"Why would he have cause to worry?"

Derek opened his mouth to say something, then shut it and shook his head. He started to back out of the room,

"No reason."

Chloe didn't believe Derek, not by a long shot. Despite the fact that Chloe could only see one obvious reason why finding dead bodies in a lake that belonged to a house that was supposed to be safe, didn't mean Derek was blocked by such trivial things as her inferior brain. Chloe knew that if anyone smelled something fishy, it would be Derek.

_No pun intended? _Chloe wondered sardonically as she walked through trees.

Chloe had mulled it over in her mind, and the only conclusion she could come to was that she had to get her own answers…And it just so happened she knew how.

So Chloe waited until Derek got in the shower so that she could sneak out unnoticed.

_Here we go_, Chloe thought as she reached the spot where she'd dropped the papers…Also the place she'd first seen Ann Fierce's ghost.

That's how Chloe planned on getting her answers.

_If anyone knows about the bodies in the lake, it'll be one of them._

Chloe wasn't sure how to call Ann's ghost, so she began with just thinking about her. Almost immediately, Ann's voice broke through her concentration.

"I knew you'd come back."

"I have to know…"Chloe took a deep breath. "Who put you in the lake?"

Ann's ghost was quite clear, like she was just standing in the middle of a light fog, but if Chloe went forward and touched her, she'd be solid. She was pacing, and Chloe didn't like how…real it was.

"A man," Ann said by way of explanation.

"A man?"

Ann looked Chloe over carefully.

"You're worried it's that man I saw you with...?"

"Derek? No…!"

"No, not the one from last night. The one. Uh? Andrew?"

Chloe nodded, pursing her lips.

"No, that's not him," She said simply. Chloe sighed in relief. Ann started to recede, and it was almost if she was just walking away.

"But," Ann cautioned. "Don't get too comfortable."


	10. Too Much To Think About

_(Derek's Point of View)_

Derek got out of the shower feeling a lot better. _Tons_. He tried to put it down to the fact that he'd just had a hot shower, but he'd been feeling better even before that.

_I can't believe I'm worrying about getting over a cold!_

But Derek knew why he was.

_A full moon last night and all the sudden the fever I've had ever since my last half-Change is gone?_

Derek's dad had always assured him that the cycles of the moon had nothing to do with Changing, but could he really be sure? After all, he was genetically modified.

Derek had too many things on his mind. He'd never felt that way before. Derek could be preparing for seven finals, and three reports, and one college application, and he would never…_never_ have felt like he did then.

Too many things were going on that were…mysterious. He didn't have the answers.

Maybe if the only thing he had to worry about was Changing he could handle it, but as it was….

Simon burst into the room. He was panting. Derek jumped up.

"What happened?" Derek asked anxiously. Then Simon smiled.

"Andrew's been helping me work out, and practice using my powers," Simon explained. "I had a really good workout."

Derek didn't know how he felt about it, but he didn't say anything.

"You should join us tomorrow."

"Yeah…maybe."

"I know you're not really into, well, showing off your strength or any…"

"No, it's not that. Andrew wouldn't want me." Derek could have killed himself. He couldn't believe he'd said that to Simon. Simon.

The last thing Derek wanted was for Simon to worry…or not worry about his problems.

"Sure he would. He wants us to practice, especially you, Chloe, and Tori."

"Maybe," Was all Derek said.

_What's the point of arguing? _

Simon sidled past Derek and into the bathroom. Derek shook out his hair, and then made his way downstairs.

Even without bionic senses Derek could have smelled the food cooking in the kitchen. It smelled delicious. Derek's stomach rumbled, making him remember how long he'd gone without good food.

Derek rounded the corner to see Andrew standing by the oven, having an animated discussion with Tori, but Chloe was nowhere in sight. Derek knew better than to ask about her.

"What's for dinner?"

Andrew jumped, almost knocking the wanton off the stove.

"Derek, I didn't hear you coming."

"You never will," Tori whispered under her breath.

"Sorry," Derek muttered. "You need some help?"

"Oh? No. Thank you."

Andrew watched as Derek pulled out a chair.

"I'm cooking some stir-fry. It should be ready in about ten minutes."

"Because of Simon?" Tori asked bluntly.

Andrew blushed, but shook his head.

"No…no, I just like stir-fry."

Derek believed him, but he wasn't sure Tori did.

Derek heard the door click shut before anyone else heard Chloe's voice say,

"Something smells delicious."

_What does she think she'll find in that Ann girl? _Derek wondered more than just a little bit melancholy.

**Author's Note: Hey, sorry for the kind of short chapter. I normally put two chapters up a day, unless they're over 700 words, but today I'm only going to put one up. I only have one other chapter written after this one, and I like to have more than that. I'll try to write more, and hopefully'll have another one up today. Thanks to all of you who read this, I love the reviews!  
**


	11. Discovered

_(Back to Chloe's)_

Chloe noticed Derek watching her, and she tried not to blush.

_Does he know?_ She wondered. _Or is he just naturally suspicious?_

Chloe wouldn't let herself wonder if it was anything else.

Chloe didn't agree with Derek about keeping it between themselves, although…something kept her from telling Simon. She waited until night, when the boys had gone to sleep, and Tori sat down on the bed opposite her. Chloe cleared her throat.

Tori glanced up, then sighed.

"What?"

"You probably don't want to hear this…"

"Let me guess, Little Miss had another run in with her ghost."

Chloe didn't say anything. She set her face, and covered up.

"I know, I know, no bickering…."

"Never mind," Chloe said resolutely.

"I…I want to know," Tori said quietly. "I know I give you hell but…I want to know what's going on."

"Me and Derek…"

"You and…Okay, never mind. What?"

"Derek went into the lake last night. He s-saw bodies. Dead bodies."

"I thought Andrew said there was no lake?"

"Exactly," Chloe agreed. "Either he was telling the truth, or he knows about those bodies."

"Well, so what if he does?"

"Ann said that those bodies were other _failures._"

"Ann? Oh never mind-again. You're blowing this way out of proportion."

"Maybe. But doesn't it count for anything thing that I actually _told_ you?"

Tori didn't say anything.

Chloe was up with the sun the next morning. She had a plan. She was going to be the first one up, and she was _going_ down to that lake.

_I don't care what Tori says. There's something wrong here._

Chloe made her way down the hall quietly. She'd deliberately left her shoes off so that she wouldn't wake Derek.

She made it all the way to the bottom stair before freezing. She heard Andrew talking with someone.

"You said I had three weeks…."

Chloe's heart seemed to stop beating.

_What's going on?!? _

There were murmurs.

"I'm training them!" His voice rose slightly. "I'll get them there. Please, don't hurt them."

More murmurs.

"Tori, Simon, and Chloe are showing real promise. There's still a…" He was cut off by a sharp voice.

"We don't need chances, Andrew." It was a woman's voice. "Victoria and Simon aren't my top concerns at the moment. You know I need…."

The voice stopped abruptly. Chloe heard her rasping breaths fill the silence. Her hand was gripping the banister so tight, her knuckles were white. She knew she had to turn around, but going up seemed more dangerous somehow.

"Chloe."

It was a greeting. If it hadn't been for the sparks that hit her lighting fast, Chloe thought she might have had a heart attack.

The last thing she saw was Tori's mom.


	12. Hasn't Been Seen

_(Derek's Point of View)_

Derek woke to the sound of loud voices. He could have sworn he heard a stifled scream. In an instant he was out of bed.

"Simon, get up."

Derek pulled on sweats, and bounded down the stairs, making more noise than he'd meant to.

_I don't hear anything,_ Derek thought, beginning to second guess himself.

Derek heard Simon pounding down the stairs behind him.

_Why'd I wake him up? Dammit. If something's wrong he'll…_

Derek stopped mid-thought. Instead of seeing intruders, he saw Andrew kneeling beside a broken vase.

_That's what you freaked about? You idiot. _

Andrew glanced up and saw Derek standing there, Simon rushing down after him.

"I just heard…" Derek trailed off. They didn't have to know he'd misinterpreted a breaking vase for a scream. "Something break…I…."

"Yeah, I'm sorry I woke you up like this." Andrew stood and cracked his back. "I accidently knocked this over on my way to the kitchen."

"You need help?" Simon asked, already picking up the trash bag filled with ceramic. Derek couldn't move. How could he have been so stupid?

_What if I'd panicked? What if…? _

"Are you ok Derek?" Andrew asked with unnatural concern.

"I'm fine."

Derek shook his head and headed back up to his room.

Derek came out of his room late afternoon. He'd stayed upstairs despite his hunger because he just felt too…stupid.

When Derek entered the living room, he took stock of the situation. Tori was on the couch. He could see Simon in the backyard kicking a ball with Andrew. Chloe was nowhere to be seen.

"What?" Tori spat. Derek realized he'd just been standing there.

"Where's Chloe?"

Tori's tone changed to one of…defense? Derek didn't know why she'd defending Chloe, but that's what it sounded like.

"She's not at the lake. I haven't seen her all day."

Derek narrowed his eyes.

_How did she know about the lake?_

Without another word, Derek raced upstairs. He knocked on Chloe's door.

"Chloe? Are you in there?" No answer. He tried again. Still none.

Derek opened the door and looked in, first with his eyes half closed, just in case, then they flew open.

The room was empty, just like Tori had said, and both beds were unmade.


	13. Officially A Failure

_(Back to Chloe's)_

Chloe woke up with smooth, cold wraps on her arms. She felt cold, flatness underneath her. But she refused to open her eyes. What would she see?

_**That you're dead**__,_ her conscience told her.

_Yes, that is what I'm afraid of. _

_**Open them and find out!**_

Chloe's eyes flew open. She had to know. She saw nothing, just whiteness, above her. But she wasn't dead. She looked down and studied her body. It was in pajama pants, and a tank top, and it was _very_ real.

Chloe saw that the wraps holding her down were leather. They were cold and smooth, almost wet, on her skin. Chloe also noticed she was lying on a metal table.

On closer inspection, she realized the totally whiteness around her had seems. She was in a room, not it limbo.

Chloe felt herself relax.

Then she made the mistake of turning her head.

She saw another table, and on it, the body of her friend, Liz. Her skin was white, now, and her hair was the only thing that looked life-like. _Too_ life-like.

Chloe opened her mouth in a shrill, banshee scream. She forgot how to stay calm, she forgot that she might be being watched. She just panicked.

Chloe wrenched herself against the leather, trying in every way to break free. All the while she stared at Liz's dead body, as if she might bring it to life.

Which was possible.

_I'm officially a failure. This is where I'll be dying._

She remembered Liz on the last day she'd ever seen her alive. How she'd been acting hysterical.

"_Get a grip."_

But the words weren't coming from her mouth. Liz-the ghost-was standing in between her and the body. She had a grim look about her. Her lips were pressed in a thin line.

"Liz?"

"Hold…still." Liz was trying to undo the leather strap. "And don't let them see you're talking to me."

Chloe was speechless.

_How can she be so calm?_

The strap came undone, and Chloe sat up, rubbing her arms.

"Follow me, we have to hurry," Liz instructed. "They're coming."

Chloe didn't question, or even wonder. She just ran as fast as humanly possible after her dead friend. She didn't even look back at the body.

Liz went through a white wall that Chloe couldn't follow through. It was as if she'd just gone through a mist, because the walls seemed to be endless.

_This would make a girl go crazy…._

The wall opened, or at least a portion of it, as Liz opened a door for Chloe. There seemed to be an even rectangular black void in the middle of limbo.

"I'm so glad I was a half-demon."

Liz led Chloe down a dark hallway.

"This area has no surveillance. It's in the front you need to worry about."

Evidently, while Chloe had been out of it, Liz had been casing the place.

"There's a door to our right. It leads to the highway."

"The highway?" Chloe asked grimly. It was the first she'd said since earlier. Chloe felt her wits returning to her as she padded along in the dark, and felt sane again.

"It's the only exit I see working for us."

_Us_. Liz didn't need out. She already was.

Liz stopped so abruptly Chloe almost went through her.

The door was marked with a single red light above it. An emergency exit.

Chloe knew there would be no time to waste once that door was opened. There would be no anything to waste.

"One…two…" Liz counted. "Three!"

Chloe charged out, but instead of veering, like Liz had told her, she stopped.

She was on the side of Interstate Most-Traveled. In her pajamas. Looking bizarre.

Chloe felt like she'd might as well be in a hospital gown-or a straight-jacket, for the way cars swerved.

"Run! Run! Run!" Liz yelled impatiently.

Chloe didn't need to be told a fourth time.

**Author's Note: Two things: 1) Sorry it's been so long, I've been sick. I'll try to put some more up soon. 2) Sorry for any misspellings. Thanks for all of you who have been bearing with me. : D**


	14. Escape

Chloe ran parallel to the highway, trying to put distance between her and the door. She felt her flannel pants whip back and forth on her legs. She barely heard the shouts behind her.

Chloe glanced behind her and saw men and women in white coats running out of the emergency door behind her. She felt like she was in the Jurassic Park scene with the spinosaurus.

She made a split second decision. Most of the cars had slowed, or even stopped altogether, to see what the hell was going on. Chloe turned out onto the highway and ran as fast as she could across it. She heard the cars honking, and Liz yelling, and the white-coats swearing, and saw cars swerving, but she never stopped.

Chloe jumped down into the ditch. Her legs buckled underneath her, but she forced herself up. She knew those people would follow her if they could. On the other side of the ditch there was some trees. Chloe hoped she would be able to hide somewhere in them.

Her lungs were burning by the time she slumped up against the trunk of a tree, deep into the woods.

The adrenaline that had taken her across the highway was drained.

Chloe heard voices somewhere off to her right.

She'd run into the woods as fast as she could and went anywhere but straight. She spent a good ten minutes weaving in and out of trees, trying to be as quick as possible.

Liz appeared in front of her.

"Liz, you scared me."

"They're going in the opposite direction."

"None of them are heading our way?"

"Nope," Liz assured her.

Chloe put her head in her hands. Her breathing was evening, but her heart-beat wasn't.

"Where to?" Liz wondered.

"Where are we now?"

"Somewhere in New York city," Liz said.

"You don't sound entirely sure."

"No, I'm sure…."

"We've got a long walk to Buffalo."

"_Walk_?"

Liz and Chloe waited until dusk before taking the risk of moving. Chloe heard her own footsteps squishing in the soft mud. Liz faded in and out. She'd come back with news of the town ahead.

"I'd say two hours."

"We'll be there in less than fifty minutes."

"It's just up ahead."

Chloe was barely listening to the time. She kept her eyes straight ahead, and wouldn't let herself think.

_Just keep going._

Chloe's stomach growled viciously. Liz glanced over at her.

"You hungry?"

"A little," Chloe said sardonically. "You?"

Liz was quiet.

"Not anymore."

Chloe's eyes widened.

_Oh!_

"I'm…"

"No, don't be."

They walked along in silence until they reached the edge of town.

"Here we are," Liz said lamely.

Somehow what they'd been working for the last two hours didn't seem as fulfilling as it should have. The town itself was pretty, clean, modern. Everything a town should be.

But as Chloe looked out on the light streaming out of the hotel's windows, she knew she wouldn't be staying there that night, or any other night.

Chloe settled herself down on the ground, right on the edge of the woods.

"Night, Liz."


	15. The Truth

_(Derek's Point of View)_

Derek went downstairs, not sure whether or not to worry.

Tori had said she wasn't at the lake.

_Tori might be covering for her, _Derek figured. _I wouldn't put it past either of them. Chloe thinks she's doing the right thing, but…._

Derek had the increasing suspicion that Andrew was double crossing them. The suspicious noises he'd heard earlier weren't the first, just the first he'd actually been awake for.

"Derek!"

Derek jumped. He was halfway to the trees. He'd been heading towards the lake without realizing.

"Derek," Simon called again. He jogged over to him.

"Where are you going dude?" Simon asked. "Andrew wants us all inside."

Derek narrowed his eyes.

"I bet he does."

"Wha…?"

"Simon, you have to trust me on this. Something's not right. I can't find Chloe anywhere, and she's been going down to the lake a lot."

Derek started moving purposefully away from the house. Simon struggled to keep up.

"What lake?"

"_The_ lake. The lake Andrew _swore_ didn't exist." Derek whirled around to face Simon.

"Chloe was right. There were bodies down there. They were like us. Modified. Failures."

"So basically you both have been going behind my back…." Simon brushed past Derek and kept walking ahead.

"I never meant for it to get this far."

"Whatever."

They broke into the clearing and the lake spread out underneath them. Simon kept walking, he didn't even pause.

"So, you think Andrew is what? A traitor or…."

"I…don't know."

They reached the edge of the massive lake.

Derek did a 360 and searched with his eyes for Chloe. Anything to prove he was wrong. He didn't see anything.

Simon cupped his hands to his mouth.

"Chloe!"

Derek winced at how loud it was.

"Chloe!"

"Simon; Derek; Chloe's not here."

Derek turned to see Andrew standing behind him. He wasn't looking at them. He was staring out over the lake.

Derek rushed forward and pinned him up against a tree faster than he could have thought it over.

"You lied," Derek growled. He couldn't stop himself.

"Derek, this is Andrew we're talking about! Let him down."

"Didn't you?"

"I…"

"You killed…"

Andrew shook his head vehemently.

"No! I…she forced me!" Andrew was struggling with his words. Derek realized he was crushing him. Derek released the pressure and Andrew dropped.

"Who forced you?"

"Tori's mother," Andrew breathed. He paused to catch his breath, and Simon held Derek back.

"I thought I was helping. She told me she'd let you live if I trained you."

"What about the lake? Was Chloe right?"

"That's where other failures are," Andrew admitted. He hurried to add, "But I wasn't a part of that!"

"So," Simon interjected before Derek could say anything. "Where's Chloe?"

"New York City. She's alive…for now."

Derek and Simon tore through the trees, trying to get away from Andrew and the safe house as fast as possible. They weren't sure if Andrew would keep his word and not tell or not.

"It's starting to get dark," Simon informed Derek. Derek looked up from the ground and noticed that it was in fact growing dark. He guessed they'd been out here for a good seven hours. They'd stopped once to get burgers at a fast-food joint they'd passed in a rundown town, but that was the only time they stopped.

Right now they were in the woods next to a back street. Simon wasn't doing too well, Derek could tell. He knew he had his insulin, but it didn't replace food.

"Let's stop," Derek said suddenly. He turned to face Simon. "You agree?"

"Yeah," Simon sighed. He clutched his stomach as he sat down.

"You ok?"

"I just have a cramp."

Derek sank down beside him and leaned against a tree where he could see the street.

"How are we going to get there?" Simon whispered.

They were both avoiding what they didn't want to admit.

Neither had thought of Tori until it was too late.

"You assholes can borrow some of my money."

Tori stuck her head through a gap in the trees. She was scraped and dirty…almost as if she'd been running.

She raised an eyebrow.


	16. A Hot Meal

_(Back To Chloe's)_

Chloe had been awake for hours. The night lying on the ground had been torture to her. Every stick or stone had jabbed into her skin through her thin pajamas.

The sun was slowly easing its way over the horizon and illuminating the trees around her.

"Wake up," Liz's voice echoed around in her mind. And her empty stomach.

"I'm awake," Chloe grumbled.

"Listen, I know you don't really have a plan but…"

"You want to know what we're doing next."

"No. I want to know how we're going to get you food."

"Oh, that," Chloe sighed sarcastically. She stood and stretched her back, trying to get out the kinks.

Chloe knew they needed to find Derek and Simon. She knew they were at the safe house.

_But just having the facts doesn't get me anywhere,_ Chloe thought bitterly.

"…Your stomach is growling, Chloe, I know you need food, let me help!" Liz was saying.

"How?"

"Do you need to know the specifics?" Liz asked with a laugh.

"Yes."

"No you don't," Liz said. "Leave it to me. And, trust me, Chloe."

Liz was gone before Chloe could argue. Chloe had to admit to herself,

_I _don't_ care how Liz gets food, honestly; just so she gets it._

Chloe felt herself ly back down.

Chloe woke up to the smell of hot food. She shot up, her hair tangled with leaves.

"Liz!" Chloe cried. "How did you get this?"

"You don't want to know."

"Yes. I do."

"As your friend I can't let you do anything wrong."

"Chloe, I'm dead. It's too late for me."

Chloe didn't know what to say. But she didn't have time to say anything.

"Got you!" A hand grabbed Chloe's arm roughly. She flew off the ground as a boy yanked her up.

"Ow!" Chloe involuntarily shouted.

"Come with me, you little thief," The boy snapped.

He was tall, not nearly as tall as Derek, but he was tall. He was strong, too. Chloe struggled a little, but she didn't have the strength to do more than kick wildly. He didn't let go of her arm even after she stopped fighting.

The boy led her through town to a small diner at the center. The diner was already buzzing with early morning crowds. The boy didn't take Chloe into the diner, though. Instead he took her around back to the back entrance.

"Uh oh," Liz said beside Chloe. Chloe couldn't do anything but look questioningly at her with the boy there.

"Mom!" The boy called as he pulled Chloe into the kitchen. A man at the griddle looked up at them as they entered.

"Where's my mom, do you know?" The boy asked.

"I'm right here," A woman said, as she pushed the door from the diner open. She was wearing a checked gingham apron over a black and white dress.

"Devin! Let her go!" She snapped.

"Mom, I caught her stealing…"

The woman took a step forward, and Devin instantly let go, but didn't move from Chloe's side. Chloe rubbed her arm, but didn't have to look to know there was a bruise.

"You d-did not," Chloe said angrily.

_So that's where Liz got that food. _

"Well, the plate was gone, and I found you with it," Devin said hotly.

"P-Please, listen…" Chloe began, facing the woman.

"It doesn't matter, hon," The woman cut her off kindly. "I understand you're having a hard time, but stealing doesn't help anything."

Chloe didn't question how she knew she was having a tough time; Chloe knew how she looked.

"I didn't…" Chloe stopped herself. She remembered Derek saying people would come to their own conclusions.

_And I can't really tell them about Liz._

"I'm s-sorry. I'll…do anything to repay you."

"We don't need…" Devin began vehemently.

"Devin. What's one meal?" The woman said good-naturedly. "How about I give you another?"

"I couldn't…"

"If you work as a waitress. Then you can have as many meals as you want."

Chloe smiled despite herself.

"Mom!"

"Devin," She replied calmly. "I'm Magdalena."

"Chloe."


	17. NYC

**Author's note: I'm gong on vacation, so I won't be putting any other chapters up this week, or next. Thanks to all of my readers! **

_(Derek's Point of View)_

Derek woke up with the sun, and he kicked Simon and Tori awake, too.

"What are you doing?" Tori asked angrily. She rolled onto her back and out of the nest she'd made herself.

"If you want to come, you better keep up."

"Uh, bro, I agree with…"

"Simon, that goes for you too," Derek growled.

Simon didn't say anything. Derek turned away, but not before Simon and Tori exchange glances.

_Ease up, Derek, _Derek told himself. _Don't let this get in between you and your brother. _

_This? You mean her?_

Derek swore under his breath, and broke out of the trees to stride along the road. Tori and Simon hurried to catch up with him.

"Tori, you said you had cash?"

"Yeah," Tori said shortly.

"Good, we'll need it for a bus ride," Derek told them.

"A bus ride? What about a hotel room?"

"It's more important to get far away from those people than having a place to sleep, Tori," Simon explained.

"You mean it's more important to get to Chloe?"

"Tori," Simon warned.

"Whatever."

All three walked along the silent country road without talking. They were all left to their own thoughts. Derek's thoughts, in particular, strayed to Chloe.

Derek was the first to see the bus stop up ahead. He motioned for Tori to give him the money.

"Why do you get the money?"

"I'm the oldest," "He's the smartest," Derek and Simon both said at the same time.

"I'm not the smartest," Derek mumbled.

"Ok then, I think I can handle it."

Tori bought three tickets to New York City, and they boarded the first bus. Derek refused to sit with Tori, and Tori refused to sit by herself, so Derek sat by himself in the seat behind Tori and Simon. He found himself getting tired, and before he could stop himself, he was asleep.

Derek woke up when the bus lurched to a stop. It was dark outside, with only the streetlamps to light the area. Simon was already sliding out of his seat.

"We're here," he announced.

Derek was tired and his legs were cramped, but he led them off the bus and away from the station. Tori was grumbling about having nothing to eat.

"Tori give me five bucks and I'll get us something to eat," Derek commanded, mad at her costant complaining.

"Where are we supposed to go?" Tori snapped.

"I'm going with you," Simon said.

"Simon, you have to take Tori to Central Park. I'll meet you there. Find a spot where no one else will see you. I'll find you, don't worry."

"Come on," Simon groaned.

Derek watched them walk away. He felt bad about leaving Simon with Tori, but she was really getting on his nerves. He'd deal with it later.

Derek made his way into the crowded city streets, hoping to find a cheap vendor.


	18. Delays

Derek broke into a run; not caring if he looked suspicious or not. This time, he had no reason to be suspected.

He'd hoped to get to Central Park well before midnight, but his search for food had taken him half way across town, and now it was a quarter past one. The streets were dark and eerie, this being a part of town no one wanted to get caught in after dark. But for Derek it was different. Not only was he big enough that any wise guy would stay away from him at a glance; his super-strength made him be able to follow through in any real danger. For just a moment Derek wondered what the thin man in the navy blue pinstripe suit with the slick comb-over and the Rolex watch on his wrist was thinking.

_He's probably taking the same route he does every night, trying to avoid alleys and dark places. He's probably looking over his shoulder every two seconds…He probably knows he wouldn't stand a chance._

Or the young teenage girl sitting on the bench across the street, with her blue uniform unbuttoned to reveal a bright white tank top; looking up from her task of slipping off her Converse work shoes into tennis shoes-something she could run in, every five seconds.

_She probably needs an extra job-the second shift is bad enough, but worse here. Her heart is probably in her throat. She's probably scared to death._

Derek felt a twinge of guilt, leaving those two the only ones on the dark street. He realized that his subconscious had made him slow to a walk, and now he stopped altogether for a different reason. Three men were sauntering up behind the girl.

_Oh, come on,_ Derek pleaded silently. _Go for the man. Can't you see she has nothing on her?_

But it wasn't money they wanted.

Suddenly Derek didn't see the nameless, helpless girl sitting there-he saw Chloe. What if Chloe was in that situation? Would some random boy help her even if he knew he could?

In an instant Derek was strolling across the street, his hotdogs still in hand. The men behind the girl slowed and eyed him, but she didn't see him until she glanced up for the final time.

"Hey," Derek said calmly to the girl-Rosalind, her name tag said, but never took his eyes off the three men.

Rosalind pressed up against the back of the bench in fear, but noticed where Derek's eyes were. She swiveled her head around and flew off the bench, practically backing into Derek.

"You're all…" Rosalind began, thinking Derek was in on it, but one of the men cut her off and addressed Derek.

"You can get out of here, boy. We were here first."

Derek didn't say anything to them. He just stepped in front of the girl.

"Run," He ordered. Derek knew from the pounding of feet behind him that she'd obeyed. One man stepped forward to follow, but the man in front put a hand out.

"S'fine," He almost hissed. He took a step towards Derek, but Derek shoved him away. The man staggered back, looking at his chest where Derek had pushed. He seemed to be weighing his options.

"Take her, I don't need a fight."

He turned on his heel, and the other two followed, but Derek sat on the bench, making sure they really left.

He wanted to go after her, make sure she was really ok, but he knew what it'd look like.

Around two, Derek got up off the bench and walked away from it, not knowing and not really caring if he ever saw Rosalind again.


	19. The Diner

_(Back to Chloe's)_

Chloe stood in the dim early morning light with a broom in her hand, and in front a mirror. She tugged at the short, black and white striped dress she'd wear as a uniform. There was a message in red marker on a plastic card pinned to her chest that announced,

**Hello, my name is Chloe.**

Magdalena had been kind enough to let her 'lodge' with her and her son, Devin, above the restaurant. The diner wasn't yet open, it being five thirty and all, but it would be in half an hour. Chloe's jobs were to "Clean up before hand, clean tables during hours, and tidy up after. Can you do that?" Magdalena had asked.

Chloe had nodded her head submissively, and Magdalena had told her she'd be starting tomorrow.

Chloe swept the black and white checked floor with the old-fashioned straw broom. The door from upstairs opened and Devin came in. Wordlessly he started flipping the red vinyl chairs down off the tables.

"I can get that," Chloe said guiltily.

"It's been my job forever. I hate to give it up."

Everything about Devin reminded her of Derek. His size. The way he was quiet most of the time. His pessimism. Even his name. It made her feel…

_Homesick? Who knew I'd be missing Derek?_

But some things were very different about them. Derek always seemed to have a heart-and a brain.

"Look at you two," Magdalena said as she came in tying her apron. "Already working together like good brothers and sisters."

She'd said it jokingly, but Chloe's breathing became labored none the less.

_Does Magdalena honestly expect me to stay here that long? She's been nice but…I only want food. I _really _want to leave._

Devin snorted.

"Almost opening time."

"But…it's only five forty-five," Chloe said hopelessly.

"Yep, better get those tables wiped."

"We open earlier than six, most days," Devin muttered.

Chloe looked around her in despair. It already felt like a prison. Now she'd just have to work longer.

When the diner open, there was instantly a rush of customers. Magdalena took and delivered all of the orders herself, and Chloe was the only bus-girl. Chloe could barely fit her arms around the bucket that she piled the dishes in.

She'd see a table open, and swipe all the dishes into her bucket, and wipe the table down as fast as she could. Then she'd stagger into the kitchen, set down her full bucket by the washer, Jamie, and grab an empty one.

_At least I'm not on skates._

Chloe felt lonely, doing the same thing over and over again.

_Where are they?_

She hadn't even seen Liz since the night before. But even without asking her, she knew what had happened. Liz had stolen that food from here, and Devin had seen. Chloe supposed she should be glad he thought she'd taken it, but….

The rest of Chloe's day went about like that. The breakfast rush was soon followed by the lunch rush, which was closely followed by the dinner rush, and after the dinner rush, there were people sipping coffee until the diner closed, at eleven.

Chloe leaned against the counter, feeling like crying, but not wanting Devin to see it.

"Why are you here?" He asked. He was standing a few feet away. They were by themselves in the main area.

"What?"

"I've been trying to figure out why you're here. First you come out of nowhere, and I should know, I know everyone here, and then you accept my mom's offer like…like you have nothing to lose."

Devin had come back from school around three-thirty, and had helped in the diner since then.

"Don't you have…a family?"

Chloe reached up automatically to touch her hair. Had he guessed that she was the missing Chloe Saunders? Her hair-dye had washed out a little, but her hair wasn't blond again, more like dark brown.

_He couldn't have. _

"Yes. They're out there somewhere."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

It was the most genuine thing Chloe'd ever heard him say, and she knew she didn't deserve it.

"No. I mean," Chloe was lost for words. "They're not really family. They're…friends. We got separated. They're l-looking for me."

Devin's face showed he was confused, like he had a right to be. Chloe didn't know how to explain, or if she should, but now that she'd started she kept going.

"Me and my dad…had a falling out," Chloe lied, her head down. "I met them and they've helped me so much."

Chloe finally shut up. They. What Chloe meant was he-Derek. He'd always been there for her.

_Did I say too much? _Chloe wondered when Devin was silent.

"I know what you mean," He muttered, and turned away. That left Chloe standing by herself in the dim diner.


	20. Timon

_(Derek's point of view)_

Derek walked along the forlorn back New York City street towards Central Park with his shoulders slumped against the wind and his hands in his pockets. It was already close to two thirty, and he could see the entrance looming ahead. There was no need to run now.

Derek walked through the tall rusty back entrance into the close to empty side of the park. He gave a call that floated into the wind. No one answered, so he strolled along, trying to spot any sign of life.

Derek knew he'd see them in a desolate area, and this was the closest thing they'd get. He sniffed the air, trying to pick up on a scent. He smelled Simon somewhere off to his left.

_Not surprising,_ Derek thought.

He followed Simon's scent of sweat mixed with his shampoo. Derek knew he'd find them as soon as he entered the park. He knew it wouldn't be a challenge. He-

Derek froze as he rounded a corner and saw a low flame with two figures huddled in front of it. Simon and Tori. They were sitting right next to each other, smiling. As he watched, Simon leaned in and kissed Tori full on the lips. Derek felt his heartbeat speed up.

_No. No this can't be happening. Doesn't Simon care? Doesn't he know how Chloe looks at him?_

Derek all at once blushed from anger at Simon and from realizing he noticed those things.

Tori stood and Derek rushed silently behind a tree. He waited until she passed before stepping into their little alcove. Simon didn't notice him until he held out a hotdog to him.

"Derek!" Simon said almost nervously. "What took you so long, man?"

"I ran into a couple thugs," Derek said vaguely. Simon nodded absently.

"So, you and Tori an item now?"

"You saw…?" Simon said with a bitter laugh.

"Yep."

"You uh, angry?"

"No. But I just thought….I thought you and Chloe…" Derek trailed off, embarrassed.

"Of course I like Chloe, but, you know. Not that way."

Derek raised his eyebrows towards him.

"Maybe you should stop leading her on then," Derek said vehemently.

"What? Lead her on!"

"Chloe smiles at you a certain way. Can't you see it?"

"The way you…"

"Dude, shut up. Just don't mess with her mind."

"Well, my heart's engaged, so…"

"Took you long enough," Tori's voice wafted in.

Derek stood and practically shoved the hotdog into her hands and stomped away.

* * *

Derek had eaten his hotdog lying on a bench on the other side of Central Park. By the time he'd finished, his temper had cooled off, and he heaved himself off the bench. Derek had refused to think. He worried that if he did, he'd think about Chloe. About how she felt.

_I shouldn't know this, but somehow I've always paid attention to her. _

That was when Derek lunged into the dark, towards Simon and Tori. He needed to make up with his brother. They needed to be in it together, just like always before.

When he got back to their resting place, he found Tori asleep, and Simon moving a stick around in the dying fire.

"You're back," Simon sighed with relief when he saw Derek.

"You thought I wouldn't?"

"No...." Simon shrugged. "I don't know."

"I'm fine with you and Tori," Derek said resignedly. Then he asked the only thing he'd let himself wonder. "How long?"

"Since I've known, or we've been together?"

"Whatever. Both."

"I've known I liked her ever since we stayed in the safe house together. Tonight, I told her."

Derek shuddered, but at least they hadn't been together when Simon had talked to Chloe like he liked her.

"Are you going to tell Chloe?"

"There you go again with that. What makes you so sure about that?" Simon sighed. "Yes, if-when we find her."

"We're starting our search tomorrow, you know," Derek muttered, trying to reassure himself more than Simon. "We'll find her."

"I know, bro."


	21. Help

_(Back to Chloe's)_

The next day, Chloe realized when she awoke, was Saturday; which meant even more work. She rolled out off the couch to land roughly on the side of Magdalena's coffee table. Chloe rubbed her side and slipped into her uniform. Every minute of her days at the diner, she thought she would explode from the anti-climactic tension.

_After the big escape scene, it's supposed to be the big _ending_, _Chloe thought bitterly as she helped Devin flip chairs. _The protagonist isn't supposed to get stuck bussing tables in a diner._

"You ok?" Devin asked her. Chloe looked up to see him being studiously nonchalant.

"Fine."

Devin didn't say anything more, as Magdalena had just come bustling in. Chloe noticed she'd rather help the chefs in the kitchen in the morning, rather than clean.

"'Morning," She greeted them. Magdalena power-walked over to the door and flipped the "CLOSED" sign over with a flourish. "Opening time already?"

Almost immediately, the multitudes came pouring in through the door, a dinging announcing each one. Soon, there was a line forming outside. Chloe rushed from table to table as each group left and came. The day was exhausting, but she was glad to put another day behind her.

As the last customer left, Magdalena grabbed her purse and apologized to Chloe,

"I'm sorry to leave on your second day with us, but I've got to go to the store."

Even if Chloe had wanted her to stay, she couldn't have said much to stop her. Chloe watched Magdalena walk away down the street. She felt tears prick her eyes, but not for the loss of Magdalena.

_How long do I have to live like this? _

"Chloe?" Devin asked nervously.

"What?" Chloe snapped unnecessarily as she turned.

"Can you sit down? I have to ask you something while I have the chance, and I'm not sure you'll like it."

_Oh, no! He's going to tell me he likes me. I can't let this happen!_

"Devin, please! I'm not interested in a relationship right now."

_Not exactly the truth…._

"A what?!? No! I have a girlfriend!" Devin and Chloe both blushed. He motioned at the chair in front of her, and she took it without another word. Devin sat on the table a couple rows over, still looking uncomfortable.

"Like I said," He began. "I'm not sure if you'll appreciate what I'm about to say, but I've got to say it: Are you Chloe Saunders?"

Chloe's heart pounded in her chest. Her silence was enough of an answer for him.

"I'm not going to say anything, I mean, I don't know why you left your dad, but…"

"It wasn't like that," Chloe whispered.

"I'm sorry."

"No. Don't be. But can you promise me not to tell _anyone_? Not even Magdalena?"

Devin snorted. "Not even? You mean especially not? Like I said, I'm not telling, but I'll help any way I can."

They both sat in silence. Chloe wanted to say, _Thanks, but no,_ but instead she knew he could help. Chloe didn't want to take advantage of him, but what if he could get word out to Derek somehow?

"Actually…" She began against her will.

"Yeah?"

How could he help her without knowing? How could he get word to Derek without alerting the Edison Group, too?

_Impossible._ But was it?

An ad, or poster, or message. But any one of those things would show her face…or maybe not.

"Chloe?"

"Let me go get something real quick," Chloe said absently. She flew upstairs and grabbed her Jeans. Inside the front pocket was the message Simon had drawn for her. In the upper corner, there was a picture of a ghost.


	22. It's Ghostly Good!

_(Derek's point of view)_

Derek woke up to Simon and Tori already moving around. He opened his eyes and saw Simon slipping his backpack on.

"Are you ready?" Simon asked, looking down at him.

Derek grunted as he heaved himself up, trying not to look in Tori's direction.

"We have to extra careful today," Derek told them, trying to regain control. "It's Sunday, so there'll be plenty of people out and about."

"What do you want us to do?" Tori muttered. "Hole up forever?"

Derek shot her a look, but didn't answer. Simon stood awkwardly off to the side.

"We'll try to stay on the side paths," Derek shrugged, trying to keep his temper level.

"Why not leave the park altogether?" Simon asked idly.

"Because," Derek ground out. "If we go around Central Park, it'll take days."

"And where exactly are we going?" Tori wondered.

Derek didn't answer immediately. He lead the way out of the small clearing of trees they'd spent the night in, and strode along the gravel path, dropping their wrappers in a trash-can as he passed.

"To find the Edison Group," he said, refusing to look back.

"What?!?" Simon said, choked.

"That's suicidal!" Tori screeched.

"Which is why you two aren't going any farther than to get Chloe."

There was silence behind Derek. He could feel their silent exchange going on behind him. Derek didn't want Simon to say anything to him. He didn't want it to be like the time when they were kids when Simon had stopped him from running away. Derek wasn't trying to run away this time; he was trying to save a life.

_Chloe's life? _

Derek pushed that thought out of his mind, for the time being, and kept walking ahead.

* * *

The three of them were halfway across Central Park by midday. Derek had ushered them into the more untraveled parts, but now they had no choice but to near the Lake. Derek lead the way as they merged with families bundled in coats and scarves trying to enjoy their day off. The sun tried to peak out from behind the clouds, but it failed, leaving the Park under a cover of gray light.

Flyers and pamphlets covered the ground, and kids ran to scoop them up in their hands before they could fly away.

"I can't believe they've let it get so out of control," Simon muttered, talking about the flyers.

Derek stepped on one before it could whirl away and picked it up, ready to throw it away. He glanced at it, wondering who could afford so many of them. It was just a normal restaurant ad, but what was strange was that it _was_ just a restaurant ad. The picture on the flyer was of a small diner, close to ten minutes away.

_Who'd put so much money into a diner? _Derek wondered. As he passed another trash-can, he held it out above it, still reading it. Derek's hand refused to drop the paper.

Come eat at MAGGIE'S for great food, friendly service, and authentic New York setting. It's ghostly good!

It was just a stupid ploy to get more customers. They'd even thrown in a drawn ghost for good measure. That's what made Derek stop.

"Simon, look at this," Derek said. "Is that your work?"

Simon cocked his head as he read the flyer.

"Yeah," he gasped. "I gave it to Chloe when we were trying to find her, remember?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Let me see," Tori took the flyer. She studied it for a moment, and then said slyly, "Well how do you think they got that?"

Derek and Simon's eyes met.

"Let's go."


	23. Finally

_(Back to Chloe's)_

Chloe had woken up on Sunday morning expecting a rush of people, even more than on Saturday, but she soon learned the diner was closed on Sundays. She sat on a bar stool sipping a shake while Devin scrubbed the counter.

"And you're sure they'll be out by today?" Chloe asked him.

"Not sure, but hopeful."

Chloe and Devin had taken one of Magdalena's old advertisements from back when she still needed them, and had added a corny ending line. Devin had printed over two hundred and delivered them to places Chloe thought that Simon and Derek would see them.

"Don't forget, I'll pay you back," Chloe had told him yesterday.

"They were free. A friend of Mom's owns a printing company."

Chloe would never forget what a great friend Devin had turned out to be. She almost regretted having to leave-almost.

"Oh, I hope they find one," Chloe sighed. Devin gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Chloe, they'll find one."

Magdalena was sleeping in, trying to rest before the busy day tomorrow. Chloe found herself hoping that when Monday came, she'd be back with the boys. She felt bad thinking it, after all Magdalena had done for her.

"So, tell me more about your friends," Devin said. Chloe sighed.

"You'll meet them soon enough, hopefully."

"Hopefully," Devin echoed.

"Simon is an artist. He's…spirited. He really lightens the mood. Derek's Simon's brother, and he's basically nothing like him. Tori's a pain sometimes."

"I-" Devin stopped short as the bell above the door dinged.

"Hello, and welcome to Maggie's," He said with forced cheerfulness. "Sorry for the inconvenience, but we're closed today."

Chloe set down her milkshake and cast a curious glance at the person behind her who'd come in when the sign had said CLOSED.

"We're not here for the food," Simon said with a smile. In a movie, there'd be hugging, and maybe a kiss or two, but even if Chloe had wanted those things, they didn't happen.

Chloe smiled and set down her shake.

"You found me!" Chloe said excitedly.

"Thanks to my own piece of art," Simon laughed.

"Let me guess, this is Simon?" Devin asked.

No one but Derek had paid Devin any attention. Chloe guessed Devin being there had stopped Derek from berating her.

_Another thing I have to thank him for._

"Yep," Chloe said. Derek narrowed his eyes. "That's Tori over there," Chloe pointed to Tori who was standing with her arms crossed by the door, "And that's Derek." Derek stood off to one side of Simon, his hands in his pockets. "This is Devin, you guys."

"Uh, hi," Simon said, a little unsure.

"Devin's the one who printed those flyers for me." No one said anything.

Chloe got up with a sigh.

"Come one Chloe," Derek said in his usual deep voice. Devin jumped a little at that, but still said,

"Bye Chloe. It was nice meeting you."

"Thanks for everything you've done for me," Chloe said. "And please tell Magdalena thank you for me." She extended her hand with a laugh. "Brother?"

"Sister," Devin said and pulled her into a sarcastic hug.

"O_k_," Tori said, disturbed. "Let's get out of here already."

Simon and Derek exchanged glances, like _What the hell? I thought we were saving her?_

Chloe felt a weight lift off her chest as she walked out the door with Derek, Simon, and Tori. She was back in the group, _finally._ She never would have known how much she would have missed them.


	24. Settling Back In

Chloe walked along after Tori and tried to be happy, but she couldn't. Devin never even knew her whole story, and yet he'd been so willing to help. She wondered if any of those guys would help someone like her.

_Probably not…_

"Chloe, keep up," Derek called back angrily. Chloe realized she'd dropped behind. They were walking the sidewalk of a New York subdivision. Chloe sighed and jogged to keep up.

"Don't take it personally, Chloe," Simon dropped back to tell her. "He's been worried about you." Chloe frowned,

_Derek worried about me? _Chloe thought skeptically. _But Simon wouldn't lie to me. _Yet, he wouldn't meet her eyes.

They all walked along in silence for a few yards, and then Simon spoke again,

"So, how was it?"

He sounded uncomfortable. Chloe could tell he was just asking to be polite. She could feel the tension flowing through the group. If she'd thought she'd be welcomed back, she was wrong.

"Fine," She said without thinking.

"Fine!" Derek shouted. "We just risked our ass's looking for you, and yet you were fine?"

"Keep it down," Tori muttered, looking around. Derek opened his mouth to yell, then snapped it closed. His chest heaved up and down while he took deep breaths.

"Next time," He growled. "We won't come for you."

"Why did you come for me?" Chloe asked Simon. She'd told them about Andrew and Mrs. Enright, but they'd seemed to know.

"Uh, Andrew told us where you were," Simon muttered.

"Andrew! But I thought he was the bad guy?"

Simon shrugged noncommittally.

_There's something going on that I'm not in on, _Chloe thought. _That's what I get for being out of the loop for a week. _

_A week! Is that all it's been?_

Chloe realized that she'd actually only been gone for that long. It seemed like so much longer.

"Uh, where are we going?" Chloe wondered.

"Central Park," Simon explained. "Great places and great food." Chloe smiled and rolled her eyes. She jumped when she noticed both Derek and Tori were watching them in disproval. Derek immediately turned back around.

"This is our last night there, though," He warned.

"Dude, why?"

"Because we're not just gonna sit around, we're going to _do_ something."

Chloe had been in Central Park a grand total of fourteen times. She'd gone there with her parents and then just her dad every year at Christmas. To many New Yorkers, this was an insanely small amount, but Chloe hadn't had any reason to go any other time.

When they crossed the park, Chloe recognized some landmarks, but Derek soon led them out of the tourist areas. When they stopped, they were the only ones around. It was a small _small_ clearing in a grove of trees, off a side path, deep into the trees.

Tori and Simon sat down on the ground and Simon set to work making a fire, while Derek stood to the side.

"Make yourself at home," Derek ordered. "I'll be back."

"Wait. Where are you going?" Chloe stopped him.

"To get food."

"Oh, I'll come too." Derek sighed and shifted his eyes almost imperceptivity to Simon and Tori. Chloe turned to face them. "I've been cooped up for days, let me come with."

"Just let her go, bro," Simon shrugged.

"Come on," Derek groaned.

* * *

Chloe had to jog to keep up with Derek's long stride. He walked ahead of her in silence.

"I'm sorry I got t-taken," Chloe tried. She didn't want Derek to slip back into being sullen with her. She'd come to-like-him being happy.

"S'not your fault."

"Well, I'm sorry about Andrew. I really am."

Derek stopped in front of a vendor. Chloe waited while he ordered, and took some food for him.

"I'm still not even sure about him," Derek said, a little less gruff. "He helped us. I don't see why."

"If it makes you feel any better, he wasn't the one who…took me."

Derek shrugged. They'd gotten to the path.

"Listen, Chloe," He said abruptly. Chloe almost smacked into his back. "Simon won't tell you, I know, so I'm going to warn you. Simon kissed Tori last night."

Chloe's eyebrows shot up.

"Oh." There was shock in her voice, but the choke wasn't from he shock, it was from confusion at how softly Derek said it to her. Derek pursed his lips, and nodded his head towards the path, letting her know to go first.

From then on, Derek was less abrupt with Chloe.


	25. So Close

Chloe woke up to loud grunts and gasps, and was jolted out of half-sleep by a piercing scream. She sat up and immediately was on her hands and knees, getting ready to jump up. A hand pushed her to the ground.

"Stay where you are," Someone commanded. Chloe's first thought was that it was someone who'd come across some kids and had decided to harass them. Then she realized that if that was the case, Derek and Simon wouldn't be fighting them.

It was dark out, but New York is never completely black. Chloe could see Tori thrashing around in the arms of her captor-a tall man with black clothes and a hooded jacket that covered his eyes and nose. Derek was on the ground with a bloody nose and someone big was on top of him-with a gun pointed at his head. Simon was still standing, but he was surrounded. He had his fists held high, and he was muttering unrecognizable words.

Chloe had heard enough to know the Edison Group wouldn't think twice about killing Derek, and she'd just barely escaped with her life a week ago.

_Fight back! You're the only one not doing anything!_

Chloe tried to push herself up, but the hand on her back just pressed down more, crushing her chest. Chloe gasped for air as she was pressed harder into the ground. She was using all her strength to press her palms into the earth, but her arms were giving out.

"Stop that!" Someone snapped. Mrs. Enright stepped onto the path in front of their clearing. "We want her alive, not dead."

Chloe didn't have time to process much more than being confused before she was hauled off the ground.

_Want me alive? Wasn't she the one who tried to kill me?_

Chloe tried to pull away, but even she herself knew the effort was pathetic. Whoever was holding her pulled her back into their chest.

"You BITCH!" Tori screamed with anger. "I hate you!" Her voice sounded raw. Chloe closed her eyes and lowered her head, trying to get the sound out of her mind.

_Betrayed by your own mother…_

"Give it up, Bae," Mrs. Enright said with cold power. She nodded simply at Derek, who was still laying on the ground, his eyes closed, fists clenched, a barrel of a pistol pressed up against his head. Simon studied the scene, then let his hands drop. Immediately his attackers rushed forward and grabbed him.

Chloe watched Tori's expression when Simon was forced to kneel on the ground. If Derek hadn't let her know, it would have been imperceptible, but she noticed how Tori blinked back tears.

Chloe didn't want to be let standing, she wanted to be on the ground too. She wanted to be a threat.

_But I'm not. I'm just some undersized girl with useless powers. _

Mrs. Enright seemed to read her mind.

"And what can you do, Saunders? The Necromancer always slows the group down." Derek opened his eyes to look at her, but Chloe ignored him.

"I wish you'd get on with it," Chloe tried to snarl. Mrs. Enright snorted a laugh.

"All you need to know is that we only let them find you to spare us some running around."

She laughed, but it was a humorless laugh-cold. Both Simon and Chloe intercepted the nod she gave Derek's captor.

"No!" Chloe screamed. Simon lunged away from the two men holding him, and Chloe pulled against her's, trying to reach Derek. Simon hit the man in the arm at a run, but it barely made a difference. The bullet hit Derek in the chest. Whoever was holding Chloe's arms let go, and she flew face-first onto the ground. Someone pulled Simon away, and the last thing Chloe saw was Derek's eyes closed against the pain.

Someone shot her with a tranquilizer.


	26. Moving On

_(Derek's Point of View)_

Derek felt the world darkening as Simon, and then Tori were hauled away-lifeless. He clutched part on his chest where the bullet had hit. Thankfully, it had only hit the side, and passed right through. Still, as it turns out, a bullet hurts-no matter where you get hit. The Edison Group had obviously thought he'd gotten hit in the heart, because they left him there, bleeding out.

Whenever he closed his eyes, he imagined the black around him, with deep burgundy red soaking on his shirt. There was another color, too. Whenever he focused, he could feel Chloe's hand clutching his pant leg. He didn't know why they'd left her, but he hoped it wasn't because she was…

_Dead? No I can see a tranquillizer dart. I don't get why they left her but…I'm glad. _

Derek knew their part of the park was empty. He couldn't hear any voices for miles around. They wouldn't be found for days. He wanted to help Chloe, but he had to help himself first. He lifted himself up on his elbows, and the pain was unbelievably. It wasn't as bad as Changing, but it was all new.

Derek worked as fast as he could, pulling off his shirt and ripping it up. He sat up, trying not to hit Chloe, and tied the piece of his shirt around his chest as tightly as possible. The pain and exertion were so much that as soon as he tied the knot, he collapsed, and fell asleep.

_(Back to Chloe's)_

Chloe felt warm sunlight burning through her layers of shirts. She lifted her head and registered that she was still lying in the same spot.

_Why am I still here?_

Chloe looked at Derek's face with horror. It was blanched and his hair was matted down on his forehead. Then her eyes focused on the ripped shirt, and the cloth tied around his chest soaked with blood.

_He was well enough to stop the flow of blood_, Chloe sighed in relief. Her breathing was coming out in shallow painful gasps, and she lifted herself off her chest. She took her hand off his leg, not even realizing the night before that she'd grabbed hold of it.

There was an annoying stinging in her back, and she reached behind to pull out a tranquillizer dart. Chloe flung it on the ground in disgust before ripping off her outer layers of clothing. She wasn't sure what month it was, or what the temperature was, but she felt hot.

Chloe crawled over to Derek's other side, so she could see the wound. He was so out of it that she doubted he'd wake up when she moved the shirt. Her cheeks flamed when her hands touched his bare chest. Derek gasped and his head snapped forward when she pressed down. His eyes rested on hers.

"I'm so s-sorry," Chloe stuttered. "I wanted t-to see if you were…" Derek shook his head, his eyes closed in concentration. He pulled her down on her stomach next to him just as a couple strolled past. Derek kept his arm under her even after they'd passed. He listened for a few minutes before saying,

"I didn't think anyone'd be around her for days." He sounded mad at himself. Chloe lifted herself up on her elbows. Her head was barely above his.

"Are you ok?" She asked anxiously, looking down at him. He nodded.

"Are you? You look hot."

Chloe hadn't considered being hot anything other than the temperature, but she didn't tell Derek that. She pushed the hair back off his forehead and on an impulse rested her elbow on his shoulder, so she was practically laying across him. She didn't think of anything else besides the moment, and she realized she'd always wanted this. Derek's eyes smiled even if his lips didn't as he met her halfway.

Without thinking, Chloe closed her eyes and leaned into it as Derek kissed her; one of his arms wrapping around her back, the other hand's fingers intertwined through her hair.

_Oh my gosh, what's going on? _Chloe asked herself frantically, but didn't stop herself from putting her other hand behind his head.

And all at once, they both had the same thought. Chloe pulled back just as Derek did. Derek moved his arms and helped Chloe off him.

_Why were we the only two left?_


	27. Andrew In the Other Cell

_(Simon's Point of View)_

Simon woke up in a dungeon-like cell, complete with a dirty crawling floor, and ball and chain. Thankfully, neither of them were attached to it. Simon and Tori were sitting on plank of wood, made into a bench. Through the grate in the ceiling they could see a clean and modern white hall. It was empty. It had been empty ever since they'd awoken.

Tori's head was resting on Simon's shoulder, and his hand encased hers. It would have been romantic-if they weren't in a dungeon.

_I just wish Tori hadn't fallen asleep, _Simon sighed, looking around his cell, trying to see through the gloom. _It's so…spooky in here. _Simon had no idea why they were there, or where _there_ was, but he hated not knowing what was going on.

He heard voices in the distance, somewhere through the grate. It sounded like…Tori's mom. She sounded mad. Simon shook Tori and whispered,

"Wake up. Tori! Wake up!"

A door squeaked open and the noise cut through the silence. He heard her heels clicking on uneven stones. Tori was awake, and they both jumped up, expecting her to come to their cell. Instead, she stopped at the one next to theirs.

"Diane, lovely to be graced with your presence," The voice was biting, sardonic, it was Andrew's. Simon didn't know what he thought happened to Andrew, but he never in a million years guessed he was right next door. Tori jabbed him in the arm. Simon nodded and put his finger to his lips.

"Oh, shut it." Mrs. Enright didn't miss a beat. "I hope you're enjoying solitary confinement."

"I see you're still using the original basement."

"Yes. Sam Lyle had very peculiar tastes." Andrew sighed.

"I guess you came down here to tell me something…."

"Not really. Just stopping by…."

"How're your subjects?"

"You mean how are Simon and Victoria."

"No! I…"

"We both know you never cared about Derek the way you cared about Simon…"

"That's not…!"

"You'll be happy to know Derek is taken care of, and Saunders is, too."

Simon dropped onto the bench.

_Derek is dead? This can't be happening to me!_

"You're an evil…!"

"Better watch what you say. You're daughter's life is on the line."

Tori and Simon exchanged startled glances.

_Daughter!?! What the hell?_

"Good-bye, Andrew. I'm very disappointed in you, as always."

Simon waved Tori over to the bench as Mrs. Enright's heels started clicking again. She appeared at their cell door and waved someone out of the shadows as she unlocked the door. A man grabbed Simon by the arm and yanked him up, wrenching his arm behind his back.

"Hey!" Tori shouted.

"Uh uh," Mrs. Enright clucked, and pointed out the knife the man held in his hand. Tori sat back down abruptly.

"Don't worry," Simon tried to say.

The cell clanged shut behind them, and Simon was led to the upper world.

**Author's Note: Ok, first of all, this chapter was extremely weird to write. :) But I had to do it. (You'll see why.) That being said, I'm sorry to anyone who doesn't like the fact that I used another POV. I hope you'll forgive me. Sorry this one's so short, but there's surprisingly not much to write about when two secondary characters are sitting in a cell.**

**Thanks so much for every review, and thanks for reading this chapter!**


	28. Taking A Detour

_(Back to Chloe's) _

Chloe walked resolutely in front of Derek. They were heading to a gas station. Derek had said they needed to "refuel" but Chloe knew he didn't want to spend another second with her. His silence proved he was angry with her, even if he hadn't ranted about it. Chloe was spending a lot of time trying to convince herself she still felt the same way about Derek that she always did-even if at the time, it sure seemed like…it had seemed like she was realizing what she wanted all along.

_It's this weird fit talking,_ Chloe reassured herself. Besides being hot, Chloe was feeling light-headed. It felt like she'd been sitting in a hot-tub for _way_ too long. For whatever reason she felt like she did feel like that, she hadn't been feeling like that when she and Derek had kissed. In fact, when they'd kissed, she'd felt clear headed.

_That's not necessarily true. It could have crept up on you. _

As for Derek, he was obviously embarrassed and frustrated that he'd done such a stupid thing in the spirit of the moment. It was obvious.

_Isn't it?_

Chloe was carrying her outer layers in her arms. The energy it took her was unbelievable. Chloe had just had food last night. The only reason she could think of to make her so lethargic was that she hadn't finished her hotdog. That and the exhausting experience of last night.

Chloe and Derek were on a back-road. A _way_ back road. It was the kind of road Chloe would have been scared to death to be on if Derek wasn't right behind her. She glanced back, making sure he really was. He walked so quietly, it was unnerving. When she saw he was following right behind her, she swiveled her head back around to watch where she was going. The sudden motion made her sick to her stomach, and her vision blurred and spun as if she'd just been spinning on a Gravitron. She tried to steady herself, but ended up leaning to the side. She had to drop the bundle of clothes on the ground and grab her head to keep from falling.

"Chloe?" Derek's voice came from behind her. He sounded annoyed. No. He sounded worried. Chloe shut her eyes, trying to stop the nausea, but as soon as they closed, she lost her balance and she tipped forward. Derek grabbed her before she hit the ground. "Chloe?"

She couldn't answer.

"Chloe!" He shouted. The noise hurt her ears, and she fell forward out of his arms, onto the muddy road. She curled up, trying to resist the urge to throw-up. Derek's hands slid her shirt up her back, and she shivered with the intense cold. The shaking racked her whole body, making Derek put the shirt back in place.

"Hold on, Chloe," He told her. He put his arms around her, and lifted her off the ground. The motion made her head want to explode, and she blacked out.

_(Derek's point of view)_

Derek swore in frustration when he realized she'd past-out. He didn't want her asleep. He wanted her to wake up, and try to resist this. But he also didn't want her wasting energy.

When he saw her on the road in front of him, collapsing, he guessed right away what was going on. He had lifted up her shirt to see where the dart had gone in, and his suspicions were confirmed. The spot where she'd been hit was raised and swollen, and her whole upper back was red and inflamed. She'd started shivering and he'd rushed fix her shirt, blushing a little bit.

But now he knew what he had to do. They'd wasted so much time, if there was any chance of saving her, he needed to get her to a doctor.

_I should have guessed as soon as I saw her face. No! As soon as I realized we were the only two left. Instead of making out with her I…_

If Derek's hands weren't otherwise engaged, he would have slammed his forehead in frustration.

_And where did that come from, anyway? I mean, I guessed I felt bad for her when I found out my own brother was leading her on….Dammit!_

Derek didn't have any idea where the nearest hospital was, or how he'd get Chloe there. The whole reason they'd taken the back roads was because of how he looked. No one thought a kid with a bloody chest wearing no shirt carrying an unconscious girl looked…_un_suspicious.

_To say the least! _

Derek saw an old woman getting into her car up ahead. He was struggling with better judgment, his pride, and Chloe.

"Ma'am!" He called. Normally, if anyone saw a six-foot plus shirtless boy running at them, they'd cut and run, but thankfully for Derek, the woman didn't.

"Yes?"

"Are you…uh…going into town?" Every fiber of Derek's nature was telling him not to do this. Every piece of common sense told him not to think she'd let him go with her. He wouldn't. He didn't want her to. But one look at Chloe and he kept talking. "Please, my…sister." Chloe's hair was still faintly black. With any luck, he was believable.

He gestured to her. "Please, if you could just trust me…." Derek wasn't good at begging, and he was glad when the woman cut him off.

"Don't worry. I've lived here long enough to know strange things hap…"

"Hey sonny boy! Granny bothering you? I'll help you and your sis!" A toothless man came sauntering to the end of his driveway. He Derek knew better than to think he'd actually help. "Let me take 'er."

The woman indicated to Derek to put Chloe in the car. He did without missing a beat. Derek stood, ready to defend himself if he needed to. He was wasting too much time.

"Get outa here, Hank, you old coot!" The woman yelled, waving a gun. Derek's eyes widened when he realized she'd been ready to shoot him.

"Aww, come on…." The man took a step forward. Derek followed the woman's lead and got in the car.

"Where to?"


	29. Playing Big Brother

Derek sat, tense, in the back of the old woman's car as she drove him to the hospital. She hadn't asked many questions, which Derek appreciated. She did talk a lot, though. Derek knew her name was Mrs. Thatcher, she'd lived on that street ever since she married her late husband, fifty years ago. He also knew she carried three different guns.

Chloe was still unconscious. She was laying stomach down, as if her back hurt to the touch. Derek moved her head into his lap so that she wasn't smashing her face onto the chair. Chloe didn't even stir.

_Why aren't we there yet? _Derek could barely sit still waiting to get there.

Mrs. Thatcher drove the car out of the backwater neighborhoods and into the main city. It took close to half an hour to get to the hospital.

"Mrs. Thatcher! Can you drop me off at the entrance?" Derek asked frantically. Chloe was barely breathing.

"Why, of course." Derek opened the door with his leg and slid out with Chloe in his arms.

"Thank you so much. I wish there was something I could do to repay you," Derek said, already moving away from the car. People stared and rushed to move out of the way when they saw Derek hurry into the hospital. He knew what he was getting into when he'd hand Chloe over. They'd have questions. They'd want to admit them both. That didn't stop him from going up to the desk and calling,

"Somebody help, please." A nurse behind the counter looked up at the sound of how worried he sounded. Her eyes lit upon Chloe and his chest they widened in surprise.

"Doctor! I need a doctor over here!" She yelled.

_Yeah, if all eyes weren't already on us…._

Nurses and doctors rushed over to him and one of them took Chloe from him, her head listing dangerously. Derek watched her get put on a stretcher and wheeled away, taking most of the swarm of nurses and doctors with her. One male nurse stayed with him, though.

"Son let me take a look at that wound."

"I'm fine," Derek said absently, still staring after the stretcher.

"No, you're not. Let me…"

"I'm fine." Derek faced him. He hated how he thought he knew so much better than him.

_He doesn't know anything about me. _Then Derek's breath caught in his chest. What if there was a way to find out he was a werewolf? Or that Chloe was a necromancer?

_Why didn't I think of that? _

"Come on, what's your name?" The nurse was saying.

"Hu? Oh…I'm fine."

"Let me just clean you up…."

Derek knew that the nurse wanted more than that, he'd ask some questions, he'd want answers, but they were drawing a crowd, and Derek didn't want to be forced to do anything.

"Uh…ok."

The nurse smiled triumphantly, and Derek wanted to knock it off his face. Instead he followed him out of the lobby and into a hall. Curios eyes followed him as long as they could, and Derek was almost glad when the doors shut behind him.

The nurse showed him into a small hospital room, painted light green to calm the patients. Derek didn't feel calm. He felt numb. The nurse started unwrapping the makeshift bandage, and Derek was sure he noticed it was ripped T-shirt. Derek held his arms out straight and kept his head straight.

"After this I can see her, right?"

"Mmm, I don't know. She looked pretty bad."

_Yeah, I know. _

Derek jumped as cold thick liquid touched the deep cut. He winced and tried to keep an even expression as it started to burn.

"It's just anti-septic," The nurse assured him.

Derek just grunted.

"This isn't very deep, but…Is this a bullet wound?" Derek could have run, but the nurse was blocking his path. He nodded.

"What have you…?"

"That's not what's important, Allen," A woman said. Her face was set in stone, and even though it sounded as if she was mad at the nurse, Derek had the feeling she was really mad at _him._

"Although I would _love_ to know what you kids have been dabbling in, I want you fixed up so you can come with me."

The nurse nodded, and put a fresh, real, bandage on his chest. Derek slipped the clean extra-large T-shirt they offered him on, and followed the woman.

She made him put on a white jacket on to go the ER. They stopped in front of a window, where they could see into a quarantine area. Chloe was laying on her chest on a table, the back of her hospital gown open to reveal her back looked even worse than it did half an hour ago.

"We can do almost anything here. We've been known to work miracles," Her tone was dead serious. "But I hope you've thought ahead."

"Sure, I've got…"

"No. Are you insured? Is your sister?"

Derek knew he was insured, and Chloe was more than likely insured for more than a million dollars…but that would mean giving her their real names. He nodded. Her expression softened at how depressed he seemed.

"I'll let you think about it."


	30. Summoning

_(Back to Chloe's)_

Chloe woke up lying in a strange bed on her stomach. The wave of heat that she'd experienced all of the day before was gone. Now she felt cold, especially on her back. She flipped over onto her back slowly, because there was a weird ache running through her.

Chloe gasped in pain as her back touched the bed. She flipped back over onto her stomach as fast as she could. She reached behind her and tried to feel where her back was hurting, but stopped short when all she felt was bare skin. She quickly looked down and saw she was in a hospital gown. Chloe's eyes roamed the room, taking in every aspect of the hospital room.

_How could I be here? _

Chloe shivered again, and grabbed a rough blanket off the rolling table in front of her. She winced when the rough blanket touched her back, but it felt better than being cold. Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep tears from falling.

_Ok, I have to figure out why I'm here. I have to figure out what's wrong with my back. My back! Why's my back hurting? _

Chloe's headache was slowly coming back. She was having a hard time concentrating. All she wanted was something familiar. She wished she had someone to talk to.

"You need some company?" Chloe looked up when a voice asked. She expected to see a doctor, because the voice was unfamiliar. Instead she saw someone else in a hospital gown. Chloe guesses they weren't supposed to be there. She guessed they weren't alive.

Chloe made a strangled noise, trying to keep it together as he stepped closer. His flesh was rotted away, with horrible pits and sores.

_Don't panic. You summoned him while you were asleep. _Chloe pulled back as he reached out. _He can't hurt you, send him back. _

"P-Please. Stop it." The man pulled back with a frown.

"Hey, I didn't choose to relive the worst part of my life."

_He must have died here._

He sat on the edge of her bed. Chloe tried to roll away when she saw his arm was ripped open, and she could see his bones. She screamed in fear and in pain from wrenching her back.

"Stop! Someone will hear you!" The man put out his arm to cover her mouth. Chloe backed away. She was trying to keep calm, but she started freaking out as she saw the rotted hand coming towards her.

"No. No no. Please. Stop. Stop it!"

A nurse ripped away the curtain all she saw was Chloe freaking out and acting insane.

"Hold on, honey," She said, holding out her hands. Chloe shook her head, and tears spilled out. This was all too familiar.

"No!" She screamed again. The nurse backed out of the room and signaled to someone. Chloe didn't notice when someone came up to her and injected something into her arm.

_(Derek's Point of View)_

Derek was walking along the hall towards Chloe's room with the doctor. He'd just told her their real names. He wasn't sure if he'd done the right thing or not, and the doctor's cheery mood just made him less sure. She hadn't seemed to recognize Chloe's name, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to call her dad.

They were walking along towards Chloe's room. Derek was hoping she was awake. They both stopped short when they saw the crowd of nurses and doctors gathered around a room. Derek guessed it was Chloe's from the look on the woman's face.

_Great_


	31. Mr Saunders

**Author's Note: Two things. I'm sorry I've only been putting up one chapter a day, I've been getting lazy. And....I know where this story is going, and I know what's going to happen, so be patient. :) It'll all unfold-hopefully. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviews, I love reading them. :D  
**

_(Back to Chloe's)_

Her dad was coming. Somehow, they'd found out.

Thankfully, they hadn't figured out that Derek was the 'man' who had supposedly kidnapped her.

Chloe sat on her hospital bed, alone again. They'd left her to herself soon after she awoke from the anesthesia. Chloe hadn't yet seen Derek, but the kind doctor had told that he was fine, and he would be in to see her soon.

Chloe was too deep in too many thoughts to do anything but sit and think. She thought about how close she'd come to-dying. Twice. The doctor had told her that anthrax had been infused into the dart, and that she'd been extremely lucky. She hadn't asked about how she got hit with it, or why, but that didn't mean she hadn't or _wasn't_ asking Derek.

_I wish I could get out of here._

Chloe covered her face with her hands in agony.

_My dad is coming. He probably thinks I'm a wackjob. _

And Chloe knew it was true.

_Disappearing for weeks? Landing in a hospital? Throwing fits? Who wouldn't think I was crazy? _

Chloe knew this was the end of the road. How could it not be? She only wished Simon and Tori were ok. It ate her up inside not knowing, and knowing she was part of the reason they were gone.

The door to her room slowly opened, and Chloe quickly righted herself. The doctor peeked in. Chloe smiled slightly.

"Chloe, someone's here to pick you up." A smile played around her lips. She must have thought Chloe would be pleased. She wasn't. Chloe stood and tugged at the borrowed nondescript T-shirt the hospital had leant her. Chloe stared ahead at the open door, waiting to see her dad. She didn't. The man who walked through the door was not her dad. The doctor seemed to think it was, though.

Chloe should have said something, but she didn't. Derek stood quietly behind him, and he wouldn't meet her eyes. Chloe didn't know what to do. She stood there like an idiot, not moving.

"Chloe, it's your dad. You're free to go."

Chloe tried to smile, but it didn't work out. The doctor's smile fell away, but the man's face staid as sunny as ever.

"I'm sure she just needs a little time," He said to the doctor good-naturedly.

"Of course."

Chloe stood still as the doctor passed her, looking straight ahead. The man stood with the fake smile still plastered on his face, watching her. Chloe hated how he acted like she knew she would go first. She hated that she did.

_Don't panic. Keep calm. _

Chloe tried to keep her face impassive as she waited for her and Derek to be discharged. She wanted to talk to Derek. She wanted to know what was going on, but there was no time. They were too close to the man, whoever he was.

"Ok, that's it. Take care," The woman at the desk said. The man shoved Chloe a little to get her to walk forward a little. She stepped out of the hospital for the first time, and shielded her eyes from the unaccustomed sun. She had no idea where they were. The she'd woken up in the hospital, and for all she knew they could be in another country.

She tried to take in her surroundings. Tried to figure out the best way to escape. Derek walked along beside her. He was trying to catch her eye now. They rounded a corner, and they were out of sight from the hospital parking lot. Chloe glanced meaningfully at Derek, then took off running.

"Chloe, no!" Derek shouted.

The man yelled something but Chloe couldn't hear. She couldn't run for very far, she knew that. The only food she'd had was hospital food. She didn't have much energy. She just hoped she could outrun the one man.

_Where is Derek?_

Someone hit Chloe from behind, and sent her sprawling across the concrete. She flipped over onto her stomach and cradled her elbows, where the skin had ripped open. The man hurried over to her and covered her mouth.

"Don't pull anything, or you _all_ die." Chloe took 'all' to mean her, Derek, Simon, and Tori, which would mean he worked for the Edison Group. She nodded.

He yanked her up, and Chloe saw another one had Derek's hands behind his back. A big van sat parked over in the corner of the lot, and they were led over to it. Chloe's captor pushed Chloe into it, but not before saying,

"Remember. Nothing."


	32. Right Underneath Them

Chloe couldn't see a thing in the back of that van. All she knew was that they were moving, and moving fast. She wanted so much to scoot closer to Derek, just to know she wasn't alone, but that was impossible considering the fact that one of them men sat in between them.

It felt like they were traveling for hundreds of miles, but Chloe knew that anyone's sense distance could be messed up.

_This would be so much easier if I knew what was going on._

When they finally did stop, Chloe's legs were numb from curling up underneath her. She was blinded by the light that flooded into the van when the door slid open, but not for long; someone tied a blindfold over her eyes.

"Get out." Whoever spoke wasn't the man who had told Chloe to stay down. This one had a heavy accent, and it sounded more like 'Git Oot.'

Chloe did as she was told, all the while Derek would think of a plan for them to escape. Chloe thought back to when they'd met the two werewolves in the park. She'd been able to distract them by talking, but there wasn't really any way to do that now.

'Where are we' and 'where are you taking me' are pointless questions to ask. Chloe knew from experience that in movie scripts they were just fillers, to make the long walk with the bad guy a little more interesting, but Chloe asked them anyway. She hoped Derek would take it in stride, or better yet, that the men would actually tell them where they were.

Neither of these things happened. Instead, they were pushed along over a lawn. A fact Chloe knew because she fell several times onto grass, grazing her already cut arm. When the light seeping through her blindfold suddenly turned artificial, and the air around her turned chilled, Chloe guessed they were inside. She expected to feel the blindfold get taken off, but instead they kept walking. Only after they'd gone down numerous amounts of steps, and the air had turned dank, were they allowed to see.

Chloe registered with horror that they were in a dungeon. A real life dungeon. It was dark, expect for when they passed underneath a block of light shining through the ceiling. Chloe didn't have time enough to see where it was coming from.

The men stopped in front of an iron gate that actually turned out to be a door-to a cell. It clanged shut after Chloe and Derek. Derek only protested when he realized he was still handcuffed.

"Wait! I'm still…"

"They won't take any chances." Chloe, at least, jumped ten feet into the air when Andrew's voice came from somewhere close behind them.

"A-Andrew?" Chloe whispered.

"Where are Simon and Tori?" Derek growled. Chloe wasn't just imagining that he seemed livid.

"They're in the other cell." Andrew inclined his head in the direction of the wall. Derek started towards it.

"Not right now. They're being…uh…experimented on." Chloe felt like collapsing-but she wasn't going to anytime soon onto this floor.

"What?" Derek raged, looking like a lunatic with his hands pinned behind his back. "They said as long as I cooperated they wouldn't hurt him!"

"Yeah Derek, what happened?" Chloe questioned him impatiently.

_So he was willing to drag me down as long his brother wasn't hurt? Nice._

"It's not what you think, I'm sure…," Derek said, catching on to her tone.

"Then explain it to me!"

"Ok!" Derek said quickly. "I was coming to see you in your room, and a nurse stopped me. She said someone needed to see me, and I thought she meant a doctor."

"Were you two at a hos…?"

"Later. Anyway, I recognized the man for one of the guys who used to come over to our house when Dad was still involved in…well, you know. I was thinking of you…actually, I wasn't. Honestly, all I felt was curiosity. I wanted to know…. But then we actually started talking. I knew he was with the Edison Group. _Then_ I was thinking of you, but there was nothing I could do."

"Nothing you could do?" Chloe's temper was rising. "What about refuse?"

"Chloe, you don't understand. They have no use for us. Whatever they might have wanted, they don't want it now. We're…useless. I was just trying to help us."

Chloe grabbed a fist-full of her hair, trying not scream in anger. At herself. At Derek. Mostly at the situation. She took a deep breath and said,

"I'm sorry it's just…"

"Chloe, what's on your arm?" Andrew asked suddenly.

"Oh, I fell in the parking lot."

"Chloe, I'm sorry I didn't notice," Derek said with compassion.

Chloe let her arm drop, and she cradled it gently. "It's fine," She said quietly.

"Chloe, Derek did the right thing," Andrew said, breaking the silence. "I know what they've been saying. They're right above me, after all."

"Andrew, how much do you know?" Derek asked.

"A lot. A lot that I think you should know."


	33. The Full Story

_(Derek's Point of View)_

Derek already knew that. He knew Andrew was a liar. But something stopped him from condemning him. Derek couldn't keep the picture of Andrew out by the lake out of his mind. He remembered the fear in his eyes when Derek rushed at him. More importantly, he'd helped them find Chloe.

Even then, even though Derek wanted to know what had made Andrew help them, he didn't _need_ to. He would much rather find a way out than sit and listen to Andrew's story. He was more concerned with Chloe's arm-and her anger towards him-to be worried about why Andrew had betrayed, then come to their rescue.

But Chloe settled herself next to Andrew on the only pallet of wood, content, it seemed. So Derek leaned against the bars, trying not to lean on his hands.

_Maybe this will pass the time. Simon and Tori have to be brought back sometime._

"I honestly thought I was doing the right thing in joining the Edison Group," Andrew began. "I just thought you're dad," he nodded at Derek, "would take some time to be brought around."

_Dad! If the Edison Group captured him, he'd be here somewhere; unless he's dead._

"But when, after so many years, Kip disappeared, I knew something couldn't be right," He was saying. "I wasn't trusted with information that linked to his disappearance, so I was left guessing whether or not my own group was responsible for my best-friend's disappearance. I guessed they did.

"Even before Kip adopted you from the…uh…center…" Derek noticed Chloe look at him, then quickly look away, "Kip was a strong opponent of experimentation on anyone with powers. He was furious when I first joined the Edison Group, because of their motto, or rather _mantra_-to one day safely experiment on those with powers.

"I was angry of course, but with the Edison Group you don't really have the option of just quitting. It was only after I learned you two boys had gotten involved of this that I decided to take action. I suggested I work with all of you in a controlled environment to improve the control you had over your powers. I'd heard they considered you failures, and were ready to throw in the towel.

"Diane gave me the go-ahead, and I hoped you'd all improve. Little did I know that the Edison Group was so cheap they decided to reuse the building. It had once been used for experimenting on supernaturals. I didn't find out until later that they put the failures in the lake."

"We saw the bodies!" Chloe broke in energetically. Andrew nodded.

"As soon as you brought back that corpse, I knew something was up. That's why I told you there was no lake.

"Anyway, it didn't work. Diane was getting impatient, and apparently Chloe was investigating, and it turned out the night Diane came to check up on me was the one that Chloe decided to go downstairs in the middle of the night."

"One of the nights," Derek muttered. Andrew shrugged.

"Why did Mrs. Enright even let you do it?" Chloe asked.

"This is the hardest part of the story for me." Stopped and tried to collect himself. "Tori…is my daughter."

"What?" Derek asked, shocked to his core.

"Yes. But that didn't stop her from putting me down here. After She knocked Chloe out, she warned me not to push it. I knew it wouldn't be long before you three got the same, and I felt slightly guilty for what happened to Chloe…"

"_Slightly?_" Derek growled. He was beginning to understand that Andrew had done all of this-not for him, not for Chloe, maybe not even for Simon. For _Tori._

"It wasn't his fault," Chloe said. Derek saw Chloe's head bent. He registered that it probably wasn't making her feel any better that he was getting mad about. He knew that the subtle thing to do was to let it drop.

Derek, however, didn't have any subtleness in the least.

"It was your _fault_!" Derek's voice rose. He shouted at Andrew that he never even liked him. He didn't care how loud he was. Derek saw the "gaurds" coming, and decided the best thing to do was to cuss Andrew out before he died.

_Maybe that's not the best thing to say,_ Derek thought, even as he was saying it. The men led him out, probably trying to avoid a dangerous situation. Derek didn't even struggle.

_Who cares if I die, really? I don't, at this point. _

Chloe jumped up, totally surprising Derek.

"Stop!"

More people came forward and grabbed Chloe. She struggled against them, but she just looked pathetic, her legs lifted off the ground, flying.

If it had just been him, Derek would have let them take him wherever they wanted, but not Chloe was with him, too. That was totally different.


	34. World Above

Derek was going to let them take him wherever they wanted, as long as they didn't blindfold him. As soon as they left them alone, he'd find a way to escape.

_If they do._

All Derek's plans went down the drain when he saw one of the men pull a syringe out. At first he thought it was meant for him, but instead he walked towards Chloe. Chloe started struggling, uselessly.

The passageway leading from their cells to the stairs was a small one. Derek's shoulders barely cleared the sides. He backed up against a grimy wall, smashing one of the men holding him. As his head cracked against stone, Derek's hands became free, and backhanded the other one. This had caused a pause in the others, but they soon recovered.

The guy with the syringe seemed to think Derek was a more pressing issue, because he turned on him.

"No! It's not the right dosage," Someone called, but too late. The needle went into Derek's forearm. Derek didn't feel any different, so he just pushed the man out of the way. The two holding Chloe dropped her and rushed towards Derek. They tried to stop him, but he ducked out of their grasp.

"Run, Chloe!" Chloe seemed undecided, but Derek swore at her, and she tore down the passage. Too late the rest of them realized she was getting away. They bolted after her, but Derek lunged at their legs. They smashed into the ground with a satisfying crack.

Derek hurried after Chloe, knowing they didn't have much time. Chloe was ahead of him, just reaching the door. Her hand grabbed the rusty handle, and she turned suddenly, her eyes wide.

"Andrew!"

_(Back to Chloe's)_

Chloe watched Derek slow decidedly. She knew they couldn't leave Andrew. Earlier, she hadn't let them take Derek. She was ready to run back without him.

"Wait here," Derek growled. Chloe jumped back and forth, unsure whether to open the door or not.

She heard something break, but couldn't see far enough through the darkness to see what it was. Derek and then Andrew emerged out of black nothingness.

"Open it," Andrew told her. Chloe did as he said, and flung the door open. She froze, looking up at the stone stairs with ending. Someone gave her a gentle shove, and she forced herself to jog up the steps. She wished she wasn't in front.

_Who knows what's up there?_

She slammed into a door and almost toppled backward, but Derek stopped her from falling. He sidled past her, and she gratefully moved out of the way.

"Follow right behind me."

"Behind you? You don't even know where you're going," Andrew scoffed.

"Then tell me where to go."

Derek used his shoulder to bust the door down. The atmosphere changed immediately. Bright, florescent lights blinded Chloe as she tried to follow Derek. Her feet pounded painted concrete flooring.

Almost immediately, they were spotted. People rushed from all angles, but Derek pushed them all aside as if they were nothing. They were all too stunned to do anything but rush them.

Hallways stemmed out all around them, and Chloe couldn't help wondering if they were going to the right way.

Something whizzed by her ear, and Chloe thought skittishly, _Oh my gosh. Was that a bullet? Or a spell?_

She glanced behind her and saw a mod forming, running after them. Andrew caught her eye and shook his head. She turned to again face where she was going.

Off to one of the side halls, Chloe saw the most horrible sight. Tori's limp body hanging between two rough figures. As they ran past, Tori lifted her head and met Chloe's eyes for half a second. They were dark, with red around them.

"No!" Andrew roared, and he veered off into the hall. Chloe smacked into Derek's back.

"Andrew!" He yelled, but he had no choice but to follow. He practically picked Chloe up in the effort of making it to the hallway before the mob behind them did.

_Oh no,_ Chloe groaned, as it looked like they weren't going to make it. But they turned into the hall just the same.


	35. Run To The Trees

Derek let go of Chloe so that she could run on her own. Chloe tried to keep pace with him, but he was so much bigger, she quickly fell behind. Derek had raced ahead to help Andrew, not that he needed it at the moment, since the two workers holding Tori were struck dumb.

Tori crashed to the ground as Andrew-as her dad-hit one of the men. Chloe slid on her knees the rest of the way to Tori's side. Chloe didn't have any time to talk. She helped Tori off the ground, and they backed away from the fight.

"In here," Derek ordered them, bashing into the door Tori had just come from.

"No," She said frantically, but they had nowhere else to go. Andrew slipped in just as Derek slammed the door.

"Where's Simon," Derek asked fiercely, leaning into the door, blocking it.

"He's in there!" Tori cried, sinking onto the floor.

"Derek, don't yell at her," Andrew snapped, kneeling next to her. "Look at her."

Tori gave him a questioning look, that only Chloe noticed. Derek motioned for Chloe to hold the door.

"Andrew, can you help?" Chloe asked frantically, as Derek moved away to look into another room. Just as Andrew stood, the door Derek was heading to opened. A mildly confused Diane Enright stepped out. Derek had just enough time to check into her before she sent a spell flying.

She shrieked in frustration.

"Where's Simon?" Derek spat. Mrs. Enright didn't answer. She couldn't answer. Blood was dripping from her mouth.

"Mom?" Tori said, more dazed than sad. Derek backed away, too stunned to do anything more.

"Derek!" Chloe shouted. Two more sorcerers had come out, a man and a woman. Derek tried to recover, but it was too late, they already had him in a binding spell. Neither of them noticed Tori raise her hands. They both flew back at Tori's well-aimed knock-back spell.

Derek grunted a thanks, but he was already rushing through the door. Tori hurried to follow, and Andrew went, too. Chloe wished she could go too. She wanted too. She wanted to help find Simon. But the door's pressure never let up.

Chloe heard Derek cuss loudly, and the jump it gave her made her feet slip, losing ground. Whoever was holding the door was opening it. Chloe's feet fell out from under her as the door opened. She scrambled up and lurched the through the next door frame. She tried to shut it, but it was too late.

"Chloe, come on!" Derek called. Andrew was rushing through another door frame. Derek had Simon-or Simon's body-over his shoulder. Chloe dashed forward, only having time to take in the surgeon's table before passing out of the room.

There was another group waiting for them at the back entrance, but Tori had roused herself. She flung spells in every direction, taking half of them out. Derek pushed through, and shouted,

"I see the exit!"

As they were running, Andrew swore but didn't stop running. They all made it out the door, and onto a concrete pad surrounding the whole building. All around them was concrete, then grass, then finally trees. Tori made a bee-line for the gravel road, leading through the trees, but Derek shouted at her to forget the path.

Chloe ran behind Derek, watching Simon's head bounce sickly around on his back.

_Oh, I hope he's ok, _Chloe allowed herself to think.

By this time she was tired from all the running, and by the time her shoes hit soft grass she felt ready to faint.

_I won't let myself._

The coolness of the trees relieved the feeling a little, but not much. Just as she thought they might make it, she heard a thud behind her. Andrew had collapsed.


	36. Foursome

Chloe froze in horror, knowing they couldn't leave him. She looked to see how Tori reacted, but then remembered Tori didn't even know.

_**Go back to him, Chloe. **_

Chloe knew her conscience was right. She spun round and raced back to Andrew. Tori dropped down onto her knees next to Chloe, and Derek stood to the side. He kept glancing through the trees. They'd gotten a head-start, but that was diminishing with each second they spent stopped.

Suddenly, Andrew opened his eyes.

"Tori," He said in a strangled voice. "I'm your…you're my…. Daughter."

Chloe barely got over the shock of watching Andrew close his eyes for good, when Derek said,

"Look at his chest."

Tori ripped open his shirt and Chloe could see he'd been shot in the chest.

Tori jumped up.

"Come on."

It felt like they'd been there a lifetime, but in reality that had barely taken an minute. They kept running, but it didn't take them long to realize no one was following them. Derek didn't let them stop, though. Tori jogged along without saying a word, a frozen look on her face. Chloe kept to the back, watching Simon's head bounce mesmerizingly. She felt drained of emotion.

Chloe kept waiting for the end of the woods, but it never came. When night fell, they were still surrounded by trees. Derek sighed as he lifted Simon off his shoulder. Chloe tried not to let him see the look of pity on her face. Chloe knew how much it would hurt him if anything happened to Simon.

"Tori," Derek sighed. "What happened to you guys?"

"They basically just experimented on us," Tori said. She lowered herself onto the ground without saying anything else.

"Is that why he's like this?"

"Yes," Tori snapped suddenly. "Ok?"

Derek glowered at her. Chloe knew a fight was about to break out.

"Just save it for the morning, fine?"

Tori and Derek glared at each other.

"Fine," Tori gave in.

_(Derek's Point of View)_

Derek lied down to wait for morning. If it was one thing he knew, he wouldn't be getting any sleep that night. He had too many things to work out.

_I'll be too worried to go to sleep, anyway,_ Derek tried to convince himself. But aside from Simon, he really had nothing to worry about-for the moment.

At first he'd wondered why the Edison Group wasn't following them, but he soon figured it out. Diane Enright was dead. He wasn't sure what that meant for them, but it was the truth. He also knew that for some reason, that kept them from chasing them. He had no idea why; maybe they were choosing another leader, maybe they didn't know what to do. Bu whatever it was, it was undoubtedly good for them.

Derek kept thinking back to the room where he'd found Simon, nearly dead, strapped to that cold, unforgiving table. There had been rows of other tables, each with another body on it. Derek hadn't looked to see if his dad was on one. He hadn't really wanted to.

Despite what Derek had said, he didn't fight it when he fell into sleep.


	37. Beginning of The Road

They were all a little less tense and angry the next morning. Derek desperately wanted to ask Tori about what had happened to them, back at the…wherever that was. As much as he wanted to, he saw she was in pain from Andrew's death. Or at least in shock. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to think of someone as your dad, and then discover, too late, that you were wrong.

He wanted even more to see that Simon was awake, but his hopes were dashed. Simon was exactly where Derek had set him down the night before.

Chloe woke up with a yawn, and sat up to rub her eyes. Derek was watching her closely these days, making sure she didn't have any lingering side-effects to the anthrax. Derek couldn't tell, but even if she was feeling horrible, he wasn't sure he'd know.

Chloe stood on cue as Derek did. He sighed, wishing she wouldn't treat him as leader, but he knew in a way he was. Tori, on the other hand, didn't move. She was lying on the ground staring impassively at the sky. Derek wanted to let her rest, wanted them all to rest, but knew it was risky. He wasn't sure when the Edison Group would go at them again.

"Guys," He began. "We have to move."

Derek bent down to shake Simon, but then thought better of it. He threw him over his shoulder, trying to be as gentle as possible.

Tori didn't say anything as she rose off the ground.

"Lead the way," Chloe said quietly.

Something inside of Derek broke down. He wanted to tell her to. He didn't want to be overbearing, but he knew they wanted him to lead. So Derek took off in the general direction away from the Edison Group.

Derek was getting extremely hungry. He knew they didn't have anything to eat, so he didn't bother saying anything, but he was pretty sure the other two were, also. They walked in a silence Derek hoped they couldn't hear his rumbling stomach in.

_At least it looks like the trees are thinning. We might be about to break free of them._

Derek was brought back from his thoughts when Simon started coughing.

_(Back to Chloe's)_

Chloe watched Derek react lightning fast when Simon started coughing. Chloe saw Simon's eyes snap open as Derek set him down. Tori was at his side in a moment. Chloe had thought she was depressed about Andrew, but maybe it had been Simon.

_Hadn't Derek said they kissed?_

"Simon?" Derek asked eagerly. Simon closed his eyes as a fit of coughing racked his body. Derek leaned towards him, waiting.

"Are you ok?" Tori asked frantically. Simon nodded and reached out to take her hand.

"Simon, answer me, please," Derek said.

Chloe smiled slightly when Simon opened his eyes.

"You're back, bro," Simon said, relieved. Tears streaked down Tori's cheeks. Chloe wiped one off her own, when some escaped at the sight of Tori's.

_I don't belong here right now, _Chloe realized. She backed away as silently as she could. Even with Derek's super hearing, he wasn't paying any attention.

She backed away until she was sure they wouldn't notice if she was gone for a few minutes. The joy at Simon waking up made her smile openly as she walked through the trees. Her feet crunched on the sticks that littered the ground.

Chloe stopped paying attention to how long she'd been walking as she went along. All she knew was that it was extremely relaxing to just walk along…

"Oh my gosh!" Chloe said aloud. She was standing on a road. An actual paved road, with lines and everything. There were still trees around her, but they only dotted the area.

_I walked to the right. Right? _

Chloe frantically tried to remember exactly how she'd gotten to the road. She hadn't gone straight. If they'd kept going the same way they had been, they would have passed the road completely. She was about to turn back, but stopped when she saw a car coming towards her. She hesitated.

_Should I get its attention?_

"Chloe! Chloe, where are you?" Chloe heard Derek calling her name somewhere in the woods behind her. She stepped off the road, to call back. The car sped past, not noticing her.

"Wait!" She shouted, running back onto the road. "Come back!"

Derek raced after her.

"Chloe, what are you doing? Stop…"

"Derek, you didn't see the man in the front seat."

"I don't care how nice he looked," Derek said almost angrily. "We can't trust anyone."

"But…he looked…Oh, never mind. It doesn't even matter. They're gone."

But just as she said that, the car made a U-turn in the road ahead of them. Derek tried to pull Chloe away, but waved him away.

The man in the front had looked almost like…

"Dad?" Derek gasped.

…Simon with black hair.

"Derek!" He yelled. Kit jumped out of the car. "I thought the Edison Group still had you! I was heading back…."

"How'd you…?" Kit noticed Chloe for the first time.

"Later. This road leads back to the Edison Group? We have to get Tori and Simon and get out of here as fast as possible."

"Victoria's with you?" Kit said in shock.

"Why do we need to leave so soon?" Chloe asked.

"'Cause there's no reason to stick around."

**Author's Note: Ok guys, sorry for all of the misspellings I'm sure are littering this story. I have a tendency for not reading through my work before putting it up. I know; pure laziness. :D**

**Anyway, you might not like to read this, 'cause this chapter wasn't very satisfactory, but this might (and probably will be) the last chapter. **

**Thanks for all the reviews. I love reading every one. **

**Bye, for now,**

**Maddy Claire!**

**P.S. Go ahead and move on with you're life. ;)  
**


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